Chapter 1382

"Ah, the boatman's fish, that familiar taste — excuse my jest, everyone. I am a man of the water towns, and ever since His Majesty the Great Shun Emperor favored me and enfeoffed me as King of both banks of the Huai and Jiang, I have been busy with cultivation and governing my fief."

"This year, too, I have been rushing about the Yellow Shahe, the Southern Frontier, the Northern Court, and the East Sea; it has been a long time since I've had leisure. Whenever I am busy abroad, I always miss this authentic Huai-Jiang flavor."

"Fortunately, I've finally managed to find some leisure. Hahaha, a moment's gluttony for fish — like this, I'll punish myself with three fish. Not enough to show my apology for being late — another three! Another three!"

"Speaking of it, you've probably all heard of me, but this is the first time seeing me. I have also admired you Demon Kings for a long time. The imperial court has always wanted to be on good terms with you Demon Kings, to exchange water and land treasures. Now that we've had the good fortune to meet, beyond the six fish, I'll eat one more in respect!"

"Mm, this grilled fish is good. Quick, one fish per King, one fish per King! Everyone, Otter Otter's fish-making is already peerless, but his grilled fish is peerless among the peerless — it's this one!"

Liang Qu held a thumb up in one hand, chopsticks picking meat in the other, his words dense and unceasing, reverberating through the Long Gong's grand hall; others could only offer simple agreement.

Bai Yuan sat high on the throne, Demon Kings arrayed on both sides.

Compared to the Demon Kings who each measured ten-odd to dozens of zhang, Liang Qu's height of 1.9 meters — same as Eying — mixed among them appeared extremely small, not even as large as most Dragon Men and Dragon Women; he sat at a separate table propped beneath the throne, symmetrical with the Old Toad.

The two "things" were both not large; in terms of layout, it was rather harmonious.

The Whale King, the Great and Lesser Horse Kings, the Sea Rat King... all the many Demon Kings silently sized up Liang Qu, watching him eat fish in big mouthfuls and talk nineteen to the dozen. He felt like he was in his own home, not the least bit shy; especially that eating manner — it whetted their appetites, and they followed suit.

The Blue-Gai King, curious, counted slightly, inwardly startled.

He'd just wolfed down ten treasure fish right off the bat — it hadn't even eaten that many.

Top-grade treasure fish have no effect on a fledgling flood dragon like you; you really just love eating them.

Speaking of which......

The Demon Kings exchanged glances, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes. They'd long heard Bai Yuan and the Great Shun Huai King's relationship was extraordinary, but this seemed to be the first public appearance?

Perhaps during the Water Lord struggle they had to avoid suspicion, lest they implicate the powers behind them. Before, one could often sense their "river stones" bumping into each other, but never heard of one stepping out to handle a major affair.

"Worthy Brother not angry at all? One man, one beast, feelings actually this good......" the Whale King muttered.

In Bai Yuan's Long Gong, letting Liang Qu sit beneath the throne and hold forth — it was practically the guest usurping the host's role.

"A monkey and a human, so much talk......"

Utterly nutrition-free pleasantries — the Lesser Horse King let them go in one ear and out the other, head buried eating fish furiously, inwardly swearing to eat the Ape King into a pauper in the Long Gong.

What flood dragon, what Bai Yuan, what Blue-Gai King — none would become Dragon Lord.

Only it, it the Lesser Horse King!

Wait until the monkey is eaten poor, has no money, then it'll be looked down on by its lover Hai Fangzhu, then beg the Whale Emperor; one move "Great Harmony and Separation" — first divide the Long Gong and the Position Fruit as divorce property, then divide most of its cultivation to refine into pills as compensation, directly falling to Great Demon. Then it can knead the monkey however it wants.

After kneading the monkey, it'll go seduce Hai Fangzhu, same method! Reverse deprivation, become Dragon Lord on its own!

Seducing Hai Fangzhu isn't because it's lustful, wanting a third hand, but to prove to all beasts that what it lost, it will definitely take back with its own claws!

The Great Horse King held its forehead; it knew from the Lesser Horse King eating one treasure fish per mouthful that it was fantasizing again, truly afraid one day it wouldn't guard the gate and would blurt out its inner thoughts. Perhaps the blow of dying once was too great.

"White-Fur Monkey really useless! Your own territory, yet you let an outsider take the corner! Where's your flood dragon joke? Wait......"

The Lesser Horse King's thoughts diverging, it suddenly widened its eyes, narrowed its pupils, looked at Bai Yuan, then at Liang Qu, pupils dilating, as if discovering some heaven-shaking secret.

Bai Yuan went out a trip, brought back a Huai King with Hai Fangzhu, and actually stopped telling flood dragon jokes!

It — became "reserved"!

Right, including sitting posture, not as unrestrained as before, not so open and aboveboard.

Whether human or water beast, when does one become "reserved"? What kind of person becomes reserved? Why would Hai Fangzhu be so happy, going to welcome together with the monkey? Why did the three "river stones" gather before?

Could it be......

Countless thoughts collided, dazzling; the Lesser Horse King's shell trembled.

Really, its earlier guess was actually true.

The Three Kings go!

And the monkey looks fierce and malevolent, but is actually the passive one!

The Lesser Horse King grew more excited the more it thought.

The Jiang-Huai Water Lord, actually "sheng leng bu ji" — knowing this secret, can it turn around and blackmail the monkey?

Everyone holding dirt on each other — that means no one has dirt.

Dilemma resolves itself!

"Huu." After wolfing down ten, Liang Qu burped lightly, rubbed his belly, squinted at the Lesser Horse King — this guy's gaze kept darting at him, quite malicious. Couldn't be bothered, put down chopsticks, leaned back on the chair, lazily said,

"You may not know, but the Great Ape Water Lord and I are truly brothers of different fathers and mothers. Others are siblings from the same mother; the Ape King and I are siblings of the same water — we both grew up drinking Huai River water."

"Back when the Ape King wasn't yet King, wasn't even a Great Demon, I was just a mud-legged nobody, a ruined household, stuck in my hometown, driven to a dead end by a local gentry, lost even my boat, could only dig eel holes along the shore for money."

"Blast! Exactly! If not for this, I wouldn't have this life — just digging eel holes, I happened to bump into the heavily injured Ape King. Just right, the Ape King had gained some immortal technique — crack!"

Liang Qu suddenly clapped, startling everyone.

"$???"

Amidst the boring idle talk, a heavy piece of information was suddenly inserted, smashing the surrounding beasts dizzy, unable to react; all Demon Kings immediately pricked their ears.

"Crack! Immortal technique, directly bound our two lives together. I let the Ape King's qi and blood stimulate, the sleeping martial bones all emerged, the Ape King survived too — you say what luck......"

"Cough cough." On the throne, Bai Yuan covered its mouth and coughed once.

Liang Qu's words paused, he waved his hand: "Ah, just this bit of rotten old history, reckon you don't care either, won't say it, won't say it, eat fish eat fish. The Ape King said, eating fish must go from light flavor to heavy, otherwise you can't taste......"

Damn it.

No, don't.

We damn well care!

All Demon Kings' eyes widened.

Heaven-shaking secret news!

They'd long been curious about Bai Yuan and Liang Qu's relationship, especially Bai Yuan's "death and revival" — such behavior was truly exaggerated. If Bai Yuan weren't fierce enough, driving off the Flood Dragon right after reviving, it would've been caught and interrogated long ago.

Likewise, when other demons speak of immortals, it might be borrowing a tiger's skin for a banner, but......

Bai Yuan is different, truly different.

It really, truly died once.

What kind of immortal means were just mentioned? Is it a collective term referring to authority-like formidable methods, referring to some special position fruit? Or is there really an immortal above the Nine Heavens who has been silently supporting Bai Yuan?

If it is an immortal, who would it be? The Whale Emperor? The Great Shun Immortal? Or perhaps......

The missing Old Dragon Lord???

The disappearance of the Jianghuai Old Dragon Lord was baffling, yet no one has ever come forward to confirm their demise; only the decline of the Dragon Men and Dragon Sturgeon clans, the fading of the Merfolk, the Flood Dragons' takeover of the Long Gong, and such behaviors inclined them toward that belief.

What if, like in storybooks, they ascended to the Upper Realm to enjoy blessings?

But, assuming the Old Dragon Lord isn't dead, then what does everything they did amount to?

No, that's wrong, they should be dead; otherwise what is Bai Yuan doing?

No no no, not necessarily either; perhaps they aren't dead, merely pursuing a higher realm, so they need to choose a successor beast?

"No wonder Bai Yuan fears no challenge, feels not the slightest fear."

"No wonder one person and one beast are so intimate; could it be that both must die simultaneously for a true demise to occur?"

"No wonder the position fruit was refined so quickly; was it that 'immortal' who informed them?"

The Jade Qilin stared with straight brows and blank eyes.

The Big and Little Horse Kings tucked their tails even tighter.

Only the Sea Tooth King beamed with delight.

The beast kings present fell directly into left-brain-right-brain combat, turning into a muddled mess.

They understood, yet all did not understand.

Helplessly, Bai Yuan had coughed just now, clearly not wanting the other beasts to ask further.

"Cough." Liang Qu pulled the topic back, "Anyway, our relationship is so good we mix using people and beasts. Look, Dragon Men serve under the Water Lord, Eying even became the Chaguan Queen, this Tatuakai, ordinarily, also rows boats for me.

I don't know when it happened, but Tatuakai learned a hand at cooking; other dishes are so-so, but uniquely this fish cooking — pan-frying, deep-frying, stewing, boiling — all mastered to perfection, truly the pinnacle of the craft......"

Tatuakai adjusted the tall hat atop its head, gripped its ladle, hugged its arms, and stood tall.

But no beast king cared why Tatuakai's grilled fish tasted so good.

The Fat Catfish glanced at Tatuakai, snorted in disdain; without it and the training of over ten thousand grilled fish while "unable to move," how could it have such skill? Remember the source when you drink water, beast; tonight you will swiftly grill three thousand fish, deliver them to the chambers, to thank it for its training!

The Old Toad looked left and right, not knowing what everyone was doing, leaving good treasure fish uneaten, just spacing out one after another; hurry down from the table, run over one by one.

"If you don't eat it'll get cold; cold, isn't that wasting things? This Duke is the Long Gong Grand Preceptor, cannot just watch it go to waste!"

Don't mention it, the small yellow skin bag Liang Qing gave is just more useful than the big yellow skin bag! Holds however much without bulging, inconspicuous!

Night, ten thousand jellyfish drift.

The luminous waterweed and vines that Bai Yuan burned clean while refining the position fruit had not had time to regrow, making the Long Gong plaza slightly dim; this instead set off the fire trees and silver flowers as even more dazzling.

Liang Qu and Long Eying stood under the tree waving.

A rare gathering, a three-day banquet; tomorrow and the day after continue, all beast kings return to their halls to rest; the day's bustle destined tonight to be a sleepless night. Bai Yuan fought a day of wheel battles, defeating five East Sea hegemons, fourteen beast kings!

Creating something from nothing, creating treasure fish!

Liang Qu and Bai Yuan, immortal means, one body two lives!

Three matters, three major matters; no matter which one leaked out, it could cause a huge sensation, yet all three happened in a single day!

A mere beast king, not even like the White Dragon King, actually possesses the bearing of a Yao Emperor!

"My second brother, invincible under heaven!" The Whale King has already grown skilled at accepting this.

"Dragon Lord......"

The Jade Qilin widened its eyes.

"Just what divine ability, what divine ability, how I want it! I alone lack this one piece, lack this one piece..."

The Pot King tossed and turned, giving the Blue Lid King a headache: "Wanting it won't get it; you need three years to come down, and if you come down, would Bai Yuan agree to let you go up for three years?"

The Pot King fell silent.

"It's over, it's over; this time the monkey's momentum cannot be stopped."

The Little Horse King rubbed its head; so many things happened in one day, it could no longer believe what could possibly stop Bai Yuan from becoming the new lord of Jianghuai.

The monkey right now is not some peak beast king at all.

Quasi-Melting Furnace!

Half-step Melting Furnace!

Half-step Peak Grand Perfection Melting Furnace!

"This is a good thing." The Big Horse King spoke.

"Good thing?" The Little Horse King stared wide-eyed, "Big brother, are you muddled? If the monkey succeeds, what way do we have to resist? Won't we have to do whatever it tells us to do?"

The Big Horse King countered: "When the Whale Emperor wants us to do something, isn't it the same — we have to do it?"

"This...... can it be the same? I revere the Whale Emperor!"

"Nothing different." The Big Horse King couldn't bear to watch its second brother continue like this, always trapped in illusion attacks against Bai Yuan, to no avail; it sat up and earnestly persuaded, "Bai Yuan knows our weaknesses, so we have to do whatever it tells us; once Bai Yuan becomes Yao Emperor, it'll be the same as the Whale Emperor, still like this; then, knowing the secret or not won't matter anymore.

In a Yao Emperor's eyes there are no secrets, because they know everything, and need not go about knowing; secrets are useless to them. Do you think when the Whale Emperor flies over our heads, our methods can stay hidden?"

The Little Horse King gaped, unable to find words to retort for a moment.

A long while.

The Little Horse King, helpless, walked out the door, looked left and right, confirmed no beasts around, and whispered: "Big brother, I seem to have discovered one of Bai Yuan's secrets too!"

The Big Horse King froze: "What secret?"

The Little Horse King lowered its voice: "Big brother, this Bai Yuan is a......"

"Pfft!"

Liang Qu sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

"What's wrong?" Long Eying brushed ice shards off her clothes, shook her hair and laughed, "Did you use vortex water to eavesdrop on something?" Liang Qu angrily slammed a fist: "This Little Horse King, I see it wants to form a Golden Core again! It actually thinks I'm Zhao Master!"

Zhao Master?

Long Eying didn't understand at first, but after a long while, she recalled her husband's early heroic deeds: "What kind of thing is this? What is it thinking?"

"Damn it, a letter from the Lady, hurry to the imperial capital, have Master Fu refine another Horse King Pill!"

"Form a pill, what pill? Do you want to refine the little Horse King into a pill? Making a pill is good." The old toad poked his head out, sneaking into the Long Gong with a delighted grin.

"National Preceptor? Why have you come, old one?"

Liang Qu was surprised; the old toad didn't go looking for the beautiful frog this late, but came to find him—what for?

"Hey, of course there's something good." The old toad acted furtively, opening his storage bag, rummaging around: "This old master has found a treasure, Liang Qing, name your price."

A wobbling, large piece of jelly squeezed out from the mouth of the storage bag.

Liang Qu saw what it was, but he didn't understand what use it had.

The thing wasn't big if you said it was big, nor small if you said it was small; even if it could be refined into a pill, at best it would be worth an ordinary treasure fish—eating it would just give a flavor, so why did the old toad come looking for him?

He felt that the Multi-Treasure Toad Plus version, the great Myriad Treasure Spirit Toad, wouldn't act without reason.

He thought it over.

Liang Qu had a flash of inspiration, taking the opposite approach, and asked: "Old Master Frog, how much are you preparing to sell it for?"

"Wasn't it just said you wanted to refine the little Horse King into a pill? Then this—give me one!" The old toad rubbed his paws and webbed feet.

Since becoming National Preceptor, there have been too many beautiful frogs, too much work, so he needs to properly nourish himself.

"That expensive?"

Liang Qu was stunned, then quickly reasoned backward.

A piece of meat, and the old toad actually wanted to sell it to him at such a high price—there must be some special benefit he doesn't understand inside......

The old toad only gives directly to the Frog King; even after becoming National Preceptor, he still prefers to trade with him.

In an instant, a flash of lightning split his mind, tearing through the misty sea.

Liang Qu's pupils dilated.

"Holy shit!"

Don't say that today, with the demon kings and the White Ape holding a banquet, it's a sleepless night for both Nanjiang and Beiting alike, only hoping that tomorrow the South Sea and North Sea will have some movement, breaking the White Ape's great advantage.

At the same time, waterways spread throughout the rivers, rivers, lakes, and seas.

The conversation inside the Long Gong spread extremely quickly, further expanding the White Ape's fame.

"Sure enough, it's one body, two lives! But immortal methods......"

Lan Jici rubbed his chin.

He believed in one body, two lives, had suspected it long ago, thought the legendary Wind-Producing Position Fruit had similar effects, and now that it's verified, but this "immortal method," he tends to interpret it as referring to the Position Fruit and its ilk, not that there really is an immortal.

"If it's the authority of the Position Fruit, doesn't that mean the White Ape has two Position Fruits in his hands? Strange, the Four Wilds Heavenly Instrument detected no movement—could it be that the innate true spirit naturally carries it?"

"Or perhaps the immortal is a false pretense, meant to conceal the information bestowed by heaven and earth?"

"Or perhaps it's meant to further numb, to stir troubled waters, to fish in muddy waters, to disrupt the furnace layout?"

Lan Jici's heart burned with passion; since the White Ape refined the Position Fruit at Huangsha River, he has developed an extremely fervent research enthusiasm for this Jianghu demon king, the "Innate True Spirit."

"Frog Master, I bought it! But it can't be at this price......"