Chapter 1485

"Ge Zu? Ge Zu!"

"Hmm!

"

Pupils focused.

A hand waved before his face; Ge Zu snapped back to his senses, only to feel a draft blow through the hall, every pore on his body opening for a moment as if about to burst into sweat. He pinched his sleeve and wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead, forcing a faint smile: "Zu Liang, Zu Liang truly knows how to joke————"

Liang Qu shook his head, pointing at the red lanterns by the door: "It is Ge Zu who is the joke. In two more days it will be the New Year, a day for family reunion. I wrote a letter in great haste summoning Ge Zu here — could it be merely to jest with you?"

"

Ge Zu wanted to speak but stopped, stopped then wanted to speak again.

"No need to say so much, Ge Zu, please sit down first." Liang Qu lowered his head and glanced.

Ge Zu, in a trance, came back to himself again, subconsciously lowering his body; his buttocks had just touched the stool surface when he realized with a start that he had actually been holding a horse stance squat for quite a while.

When?

He felt he was truly old; clearly he still had three hundred years to live, yet many times he easily forgot things, and when encountering any matter he was also easily alarmed over trifles.

Liang Qu did not expose him.

When he said there was a Wei fruit to refine, Ge Zu stood up at once; when he shook his head, Ge Zu sat down again; when he explained there were two, Ge Zu, his buttocks not touching the stool, dropped into a horse stance right there on the spot.

Is it really that serious?

He merely self-cultivated one, advanced one, refined one — openly possessing three Wei fruits, and still carrying two more in his pocket?

The Whale Emperor, the Great Li Taizu — which of them doesn't have more Wei fruits on hand than him? Yet to this day he doesn't have a single major one.

"Wuhu, White-Bearded Old Grandpa! Want some osmanthus cake? Fresh out of the oven————" The Third Prince swayed his tail, drifting in from the courtyard, brushing past them, spinning a circle; four claws, one piece of warm, soft, sweet cake per claw, and he even held one out.

Ge Zu chuckled, raising a hand to decline: "No need, you eat it."

"Then I'll eat it all up————" The Third Prince drifted out again.

With the little white dragon interrupting, Ge Zu relaxed considerably. He took a deep breath, digesting reality: "Zu Liang, speak directly. What do you need me to do? Help you refine a Wei fruit?"

"Not help me, help it." Liang Qu raised his head.

Ge Zu looked out the window, only to see a point of golden light in the sky, flashing rapidly.

In the courtyard, the Third Prince's heart tightened; he flared his nostrils, looking left and right.

"Cunning, greedy, sycophantic, licentious———— such a complex evil scent, but so familiar. Not good, it's the scent of a Minister of Fortunate Advancement, Wei Neishi!"

Shua!

Eight cicada-wing-like wings unfolded piece by piece, golden light glittering; blocky tile-blue half-moon carapace plates thick and lustrous; mouthparts like curved hook crescent moons, flashing cold light — an incomparably divine and handsome eight-winged centipede appeared in the hall!

A Wei!

When did it arrive?

The former daily companion of the Heavenly God, the great lackey, the first treacherous minister, in truth the first heart-and-belly confidant and latent peril; later losing the greater for the smaller, went undercover in the Southern Frontier; though able to control the Holy Maiden, in reality far removed from the center of power, promoted in name but demoted in fact————

"Could there be another post change?"

So many treacherous ministers, evil ministers, yet only it and A Wei could accompany the Big Boss left and right; even having been far from the core, once returned, it absolutely cannot be underestimated.

The Third Prince rolled his little eyes, stroked the dragon horns on his head, stuffed the pastries into his mouth in two or three bites, hurriedly pressed against the wall to steal———— no, eavesdrop.

As the golden light arrived, Liang Qu raised a hand; the eight-winged centipede, like a well-trained goshawk on the North Sea snow plains, folded its wings into its carapace, perched on his forearm, raised its head high, shrank from belt-size down to wrist-band size, head connected to tail, transforming into a deep blue wrist cuff.

"What a handsome Tian Wu!" Ge Zu exclaimed in admiration.

Liang Qu said with self-satisfaction: "Not bad, Ge Zu. The Wei fruit I possess matches this Tian Wu incomparably well, so I want to let it attempt to refine it; this will require Ge Zu to lend a hand!"

"Let it refine?"

Ge Zu's mind shook once more, even more than when he learned Liang Qu had two additional Wei fruits.

"Exactly!"

【Fei Fruit】

【Authority: Plague Fiend】

【Attribute: Calamity】

【Calamity is pestilence; humans and livestock all perish, white bones fill the fields, cooking smoke utterly cut off.】

【Refinement Ritual: Poison Erodes Six Viscera, Corpse Liberation Spreads Plague】

【Yong Fruit】

【Authority: Weapon Fiend】

【Attribute: Calamity】

【Weapons are like fire; if not restrained, they will burn themselves.】

【Refinement Ritual: Dwells in Weapons, Feeds on Fiend Qi to Live】

Two Wei fruits, both coming from the first Netherworld invasion.

Doubt the Whale Emperor, understand the Whale Emperor, become the Whale Emperor.

Not every Wei fruit can be smoothly refined just because the refinement method is known, nor is everything fine just because a Wei fruit's refinement is complete.

The Mei Fruit's side effect happens to cancel out with the Wu Fruit, having no influence.

What about the Fei Fruit? What to counter it with?

Poison Erodes Six Viscera, Corpse Liberation Spreads Plague.

Assuming one only needs poison to enter the bones and corpse liberation, an attempt is just an attempt; one could endure it oneself. But adding a 'spread plague' proves simple corpse liberation is insufficient, and still requires other measures — truly somewhat unfavorable, greatly affecting subsequent actions.

Refining a single Wei fruit, whether Chang You or Han Mei, from experience, takes at least two months, even more; two fruits means half a year. For Liang Qu, who has only one year of activity time left, it is truly unwilling to waste.

And Liang Qu believed the Fei Fruit matches A Wei itself incomparably well!

Even Liang Qu is willing to directly promote the mid-realm A Wei to the upper realm right now, then pull it up to Yao Wang in one go.

For a water beast to evolve from a Great Yao into a Yao Wang requires tens of millions of essence, ten points of River Dominance, sixty Favors; but last time when appointing Huang Sha, Liang Qu discovered that ten points of Dominance can be directly replaced with a Wei fruit.

The only uncertainty was whether the Feng fruit, Yi fruit, or Changyou fruit that could substitute at the time — all fundamentally water-attributed fruits capable of converting ruling degree — would work; other attributes would not, and even if the Fei fruit was compatible, whether it could be directly given to Awei was also uncertain.

Most likely not.

Even if it could, Liang Qu also wanted to keep a trump card.

If he directly became a Demon King, Awei would have a "stone in the river," making whatever he did inconvenient.

Besides, if something went wrong and he unexpectedly perished, Awei's realm was low, so resurrection would be easy and low-cost; the Great and Minor Horse Kings' side wouldn't expend much to nurture a flesh body.

Having Patriarch Ge help, assisting Awei in refining, was the optimal solution after weighing all sides.

It saved both time and effort.

It could also avoid side effects, and incidentally keep a trump card.

"Hah, Patriarch Liang today————truly startled me————"

Liang Qu cupped his hands: "Many apologies."

Patriarch Ge's chest heaved; the stimulation he received today was second only to when he awoke, when he contended for the Fourth Immortal — no, even higher!

Liang Qu was striving toward Hua Hong!

Yes, Patriarch Ge was not stupid.

The reason the Great Li Founding Ancestor split himself was already known to each other long ago, hence the need to kill the Fourth Immortal; right now having this centipede refine was the same principle by a different method.

The disjointed feeling of not having fully woken up grew increasingly severe.

Eighteen Hunt Tigers, twenty-two Entering Zhen Xiang, twenty-eight Yao Dragons.

Thirty-two, preparing furnace and Hua Hong?

"I understand, Patriarch Liang's meaning is to have me, based on this Heavenly Centipede, use the Daoist method to regulate the state, conform to the theory of medicinal liberation, and afterward attempt to use my poor Dao authority to help refine the position fruit, correct?"

"Correct!"

Patriarch Ge stroked his beard for a long while.

"Good! This matter I accept!"

Liang Qu was delighted: "Many thanks, Patriarch Ge! However, this matter must not be made a spectacle————and the refining, just in case, needs to take place at Pingyang Li."

"This poor Daoist understands; then the other position fruit that needs soldier liberation — who will handle it?"

"The other share is not urgent for now; first let's see if medicinal liberation can succeed; after the New Year festival we'll begin attempts."

Yong fruit, Liang Qu's current beast choice was Quan Tou, however, the compatibility between Quan Tou and Yong fruit was not as high as Awei and Fei fruit, so it was temporarily placed later, to first see the results.

The bare jujube tree trembled its branches.

Patriarch Ge left with Awei.

Awei stood on Patriarch Ge's shoulder, joints folded at ninety degrees, opening and closing his mouthparts.

Liang Qu sat in the hall, finished drinking the tea, and shouted: "Third Prince!"

"Here!" Third Prince stiffened his tail, with a *zilou* coiled around Liang Qu's forearm, rubbed his head, and began rolling his whole body, "Boss, I can also do medicinal liberation, I can also refine authority! I have a General-grade Mist Beast, worth ten of me, Boss!"

"Awei bled for our family, went to the Southern Frontier to sit in prison, and is the most compatible; this matter is not up for discussion. Also, you heard it, you heard it — don't spread this matter outside."

Third Prince was dejected: "Fine."

Liang Qu patted Third Prince's head, then stroked its fluffy mane, let it go, himself fished out the dagger Qing Lang from his waist, and ran to the separate courtyard.

Third Prince propped his chin, brows tightly knit.

Big trouble!

Sesame Tangyuan's divine ability advanced, its strength already greatly increased, wolfish ambitions — that's why it recently went to participate in some Frog Clan fighting tournament; otherwise it came to provoke every three days. Once Awei refines the position fruit, won't his divine merit be complete? Even if he becomes a Demon King he won't be able to suppress him; will days still be good?

No, these days can't be lived!

A treacherous villain once catching the wind rises, soaring straight up ninety thousand li.

Awei will ride on its and Sesame Tangyuan's heads and shit in the future!

"Damn it, wise all my life, can I only join claws with Black Tangyuan Big Fatty?" Third Prince irritably rubbed his head.

Quiet room, Liang Qu sensed the aura for a bit, leaned against the wall, and lightly knocked on the door.

"Eying, are you cultivating?"

"Yes, just normal cultivation; does Husband have something?"

Liang Qu was delighted, opened the door, flicked his index and middle fingers, twirled the Qing Lang in his hand: "That's perfect, help me trim my hair?"

Long Eying stared blankly, but didn't refuse, rose from the cushion: "Sure."

She waved a hand, vine soldiers pulled out from the mud, tumbled down into the courtyard, unfolded into a chair; Liang Qu leaned back, black hair scattered, lazy and relaxed.

Early February, weather bitterly cold, but sunshine bright.

Liang Qu narrowed his eyes basking in the sun.

Body, hair, and skin received from parents — not some ironclad rule; otherwise wouldn't everyone not cut nails, not shave beards? This saying is more a kind of admonition and cherishing of oneself.

"Why think of cutting hair now?"

Vine soldiers again knotted a small stool under the chair back; Long Eying stepped over and sat down.

"Isn't New Year coming soon? At that time cutting hair kills maternal uncle."

"Where do you have a maternal uncle? Isn't there just one paternal uncle?"

"Then there's a great-uncle? Don't treat great-uncle as not an uncle."

Long Eying found it funny; she patted her hair, spread five fingers, inserted them and combed down, gripped Qing Lang, pinched the hair ends, compared a bit, then looked at the temples.

"Feels not very long, very even, temples also clean, doesn't seem to need much trimming?"

"Need to." Liang Qu opened his eyes, reached back to grab his hair, "From here to here, cut it all off for me, I want to keep short hair, like the Southern Frontier people; right, hair cut in one stroke, tie it up and keep it for me, someday give it to Patriarch Ge, maybe can make a small Xuan-bing grade whisk, just as a small gift."

Long Eying surprised: "Cut it all? Not preparing to wear a crown?"

"Not wearing. If must wear, tying two straps works the same; I still like short hair." Liang Qu spread his arms, yawned, suddenly tilted his head up, "You won't dislike me, right?"

"Bald head I'd love to hug just the same; as long as the head's there."

"Sounds weird."

Long Eying gestured: "Going out, aren't you afraid people will talk?"

"Who said? I'm the famous Jianghuai King — cut my hair, others would rush to imitate, only to feel honored to resemble or approach me; who knows, it might start a trend of neat, short hair that's easy to maintain, beneficial for martial practice? The shorter the hair, the faster the cultivation.

After a while, ten or twenty years later, people will say, 'Oh, back then everyone grew long hair, inconvenient and restrictive, but the Huai King in his youth didn't care about others' glances, pioneered cutting his hair, devoting the time spent on hair care to cultivation, thus achieving his later success — the first to reform customs and manners, blah blah blah.'

"Pfft." Long Eying snorted with laughter, then nodded seriously: "Maybe there'll be a hair-cutting craze in the martial hall? Great business — I'll have my foster mother open a barbershop right away."

"Truly clever, no wonder you're my wife, but still not clever enough."

"Hmm." Long Eying pondered briefly, eyes brightening: "Cut the hair, then we can collect it and sell fake hair!"

"Exactly." Liang Qu stared at the sun, as if muttering to himself, "I've always liked short hair; long hair never suited me — washing it is a hassle, cutting it is a hassle, back when I didn't practice martial arts, I often had lice and wanted to cut it, but my status wasn't high enough, my position insufficient — cutting it would make me a freak, inviting unwarranted exclusion, so I had to blend in with the dust."

"Blending in with the dust came up — is that really that exaggerated?" Long Eying laughed, "Are you serious?"

"Cut it then!"

Crack.

The green wolf infused with true gang, severed the black hair — clearly only two or three taels, insignificant in weight, yet Liang Qu felt as if a great burden had been lifted, his whole body lightened, dazed, his entire being seemed to soar upward, rushing toward the sun.

In the lower dantian, the spinning qi mass suddenly increased by a third.

Long Eying pinched the black hair between her index finger and thumb, removed her own hair tie, bundled it to one side, then used the green wolf to scrape the hair roots, bit by bit, trimming —

"Senior Brother, why aren't you moving yet? Everyone's in the courtyard, just you sitting here drinking tea, the matriarch has called you — do you need someone to fetch you?" Xiang Changshu stepped into the room.

Xu Zishuai sat at the table, half in shadow, took a sip of tea, glanced lightly at Xiang Changshu: "Junior Brother Xiang, you used to call me Senior Brother, I don't blame you for that, but now, today is different from before — you should call me Xu Entering Zhen Xiang!"

"Alright, Xu Zhuzinozhi inserted big scallion elephant."

"Impudent! Entering Zhen Xiang must not be insulted! Entering Zhen Xiang must not be insulted!" Xu Zishuai exploded in rage, slammed the table: "A mere sick cat, dare to pull my ivory!"

"Senior Brother Lu, look at him!" Xiang Changshu turned his head.

"Junior Brother, it's about time." Lu Gang pressed Xu Zishuai's shoulder: "Don't let the junior disciple wait too long."

"Senior Master Lu is right!" Xu Zishuai stepped back half a step, his expression clearly turning respectful.

"Arrogant before, respectful now!" Xiang Changshu pointed.

"When Entering Zhen Xiang speaks, how could a sick tiger dare to interrupt! Humph! With Senior Master Lu present today, I won't bother with you!" Xu Zishuai lifted his robe, strode out.

Courtyard, the sect gathered, the White Jade Palace stood still beneath the osmanthus tree.

"Grandmaster, Grandmatriarch, hurry up and get on the carriage! I'm so hungry!" The Third Prince turned and called: "All senior brothers, is everyone here?"

"All here!" Xiang Changshu jumped onto the carriage and shouted.

"Great, sit tight and hold on — take off!"

The Third Prince controlled the mist beast, pulled the carriage, whistled into the sky, like midnight Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, racing straight for the Huai King's mansion.

Otter otter waited at the gate, saw the white jade carriage enter, exploded in midair, scattered into cow-milk white mist hugging the ground, revealing the inner figures, quickly counted heads, confirmed no error, dashed off in a puff to close the gate, lit the gate firecrackers.

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

A year's bad luck was entirely blocked outside the house.

"Master, Matriarch, I've been waiting a while, finished half a bowl of melon seeds — please sit down quickly, everything's ready."

Liang Qu stepped forward to welcome.

Immediately, everyone froze, gazes snapping to Liang Qu's head.

"Whoa! Ashui, what happened to your head? Did you go to the East Sea and get someone to tap a keg? New hair hasn't grown back?" Xu Zishuai gaped.

"Huh?" Liang Qu touched his forehead, the neat short hair slipping through his fingers, grinned: "I found it bothersome, so I cut it myself."

"You cut it yourself?" Yang Dongxiong puzzled: "Perfectly fine, why cut your hair?"

"Eh, just for convenience, and it's only hair — what's so strange about it? Master, matriarch, senior brothers, senior sisters, let's hurry and sit down — it's getting dark." Liang Qu waved.

Everyone wanted to speak but held back, said nothing more.

"Alright, let's eat, let's eat!"

Jiang Otter bustled about, He Li laid out the table.

Lao Mengyao and Xi Ziyu, two disciples, followed Long Yao and Long Li to help.

The old monk and Su Gu Shan were regulars, Qi Tuyan and Hui Zhen likewise joined.

"Strange, really strange." Xu Zishuai stepped into the hall, from time to time observing Liang Qu's new hairstyle.

His whole head had only the crown left slightly longer, the surroundings short stubble, revealing the scalp — made him uncomfortable, but after looking longer, he thought it actually not bad; upon reflection, indeed convenient — no need to comb in the morning, looks neat, key point: in fights, less likely to be grabbed by the hair.

Xu Zishuai's heart stirred, he touched his own head, leaned toward Lady Xu: "Matriarch, look — can I cut mine too?"

"You?" Lady Xu scanned up and down, thought: "Wait until someone in the martial hall cuts theirs first, then you can."

"Students? Why wait for students to cut first?"

Lady Xu gave no answer.

"Fine then."

Xu Zishuai couldn't make sense of it, but knew the matriarch wouldn't harm him, so quickly dismissed the thought.

Soon after.

Firecracker sounds continued intermittently, swelling into a continuous roar, the atmosphere grew lively.

Liang Qu gazed at everyone around him.

Xu Zishuai over there told jokes about the martial hall disciples, never missing a beat, sipped tea, said he'd drunk three bowls of water.

Liang Qu felt nothing had changed — he was still in Yixing, still on that original yellow-earth hut's land, eating and drinking tea, always happy, always laughing.

Xu Zishuai caught his breath, then drained another cup.

Liang Qu interjected: "Senior Brother, this year you've entered Entering Zhen Xiang — don't forget, the congratulatory address should be yours to give!"

"Cough cough, almost forgot the main act — since everyone invited me so solemnly, I'm deeply honored; as the sect's newly appointed Entering Zhen Xiang master, I'll just say a few words, speak on closing-the-door matters." Xu Zishuai coughed twice, stood up: "This — speaking of it — went very smoothly; I broke through Entering Zhen Xiang, successfully continued the original idea of one Entering Zhen Xiang per year, not easy at all — first, inseparable from the master's help, second — "

"Chattering away, which year has a senior brother like you?" Liang Qu urged, "Let the blessings be said, why are you giving an acceptance speech here? Hurry up! Senior Brother Xu, Senior Master Xu, be quick about it! Don't lose face."

"Bold!" Xiang Xiang Xiang Zhangsong slapped the table and rose, standing beside Xu Zishuai, "Junior brother, it's not me saying this, but before you called Xu Shixiong Shi Xiong, Xu Shixiong didn't pick on your reasoning, but today is different from the past—how unbecoming! You must call Xu Zhen Xiang, Xu Jiang Zongshi; today I tell you, Zhen Xiang, you must not insult!"

The hall fell silent.

"Ah haha! Hahaha!"

Laughter shook the heavens.

"My mother, I laughed until I choked." Liang Qu doubled over, utterly merciless.

The otter serving the food rolled into a ball, clutching its belly and slapping its thigh.

"Zhen Xiang, you must not insult!" The Third Prince akimbo, scolded the little otter.

The little otter collapsed to the ground.

Hui Zhen, Qi Ju Yan, Lao Meng Yao, and Xi Zi Yu all felt such an atmosphere for the first time, finding it novel and not bad.

"Xu Liang Shidi, how are you speaking? With Ying Long present, hierarchy must be observed!" Xu Zishuai solemn, pointing at Xiang Xiang Xiang Zhangsong, "Quickly apologize to Liang Wu Sheng!"

Xiang Xiang Xiang Zhangsong: "————"

"Hey, just joking, just joking, new Zhen Xiang, don't do this—once a year, rare to come around, let me think properly————" Xu Zishuai chuckled, then turned serious, pondered a moment, raised his wine cup, "Today, before the festival cup, we all bow and dance,

all the grandsons below. May it be from now on, each year stronger than the last, each year timely."

Liang Qu glanced around, comparing to last year, there were again more people.

Everyone rose together, raised their cups in unison, voices in harmony.

"Today, before the festival cup, we all bow and dance, all the grandsons below. May it be from now on, each year stronger than the last, each year timely!"

The wine cups pressed together.

Clear tones rang as they touched.

"Pa!"

Fireworks bloomed on Ping Yang Mountain, orange light spots flickered, filling the night sky.

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