Chapter 595: A Thousand Li to Jiangling in a Single Day

Seaweed drifted and swayed; fish tails glided past.

Fish and shrimp that had poked their heads out retracted into the crevices.

Two merfolk, one in front and one behind, awkwardly bowed, lowering their bodies as their transparent fin membranes gently stirred the water.

"Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin."

"Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan."

"Greetings, my lord!" *2

"Good! Full of spirit!"

The two investments of three thousand taels have finally broken the deadlock!

Liang Qu's mood improved greatly; he stepped forward to assist the two, his palms gripping their forearms and keenly sensing their low body temperature, then smiled and asked.

"Did you sneak out from your clan?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan lowered his head in embarrassment: "Your lordship, forgive my folly."

Liang Qu patted their arms: "Courage is the very essence of resolve—why would I laugh?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin, leading by half a step, spoke: "Besides my brother and me, twenty-eight others wish to go; thirty in total. The number is too large—we feared drawing the attention of our elders, so only the two of us came ahead."

"Do your parents know?"

"Most likely not."

"Aren't you afraid of angering them?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin shook his head: "When we were young, our elders often spoke of land-dwellers—three-headed, six-armed, with blue faces and fanged mouths, always carrying nets and iron tridents. Any merfolk who disobeyed would be captured, tortured, and have their eyes gouged out to extract tears."

"What do you think?"

"Half-believe it."

"Which half?"

"The torture and eye-gouging."

Long Long Binglin glanced sideways.

Liang Qu raised an eyebrow: "If you believe half of that, aren't you afraid I'll deceive you and rip out your mer-tears?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin showed no change in expression.

"Since you appear here, it means our clan's fate has destined this encounter—whether blessing or calamity, fortune or calamity, we cannot escape it."

"Lord Long's power is supreme; you do not use force to oppress, but instead show kindness with rare treasures. My brother and I are willing to believe today's act is a blessing."

"A parent's love for a child: first, they wish for health; second, for fame; third, for the child to protect the family. When a child seeks betterment, there is no reason to fear angering them."

Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan echoed: "We are willing to pave the way for our clan—even if our heads break and our blood flows, we do so willingly!"

"Good! Since ancient times, glory belongs to the young!"

Liang Qu greatly praised them; he had expected only hesitant young merfolk, eager to leave and seek adventure.

Yet after this exchange—

The youths possess courage, boldness, and discernment!

"Do all your clan members bear the surname Brother Quan?"

"Sixty percent bear Brother Quan; thirty percent Cold; ten percent Ling. Our clan was formed from remnants of old Penglze tribes—some clans were attacked and scattered, others relocated and vanished."

"Thus, the elders hold deep prejudices, unwilling to interact with outsiders; whenever they spot a human merchant boat passing nearby, the leader orders relocation, fearing trouble."

"Have you ever been to the land before?"

Close

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Relationship.

Long Pinghe passed through the whirlpool channel, slipping away from Pingyang Prefecture for personal benefits

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Long Qin, Pump Yutian were stunned, about to warn.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe bowed.

"Come, there's no rush about following." Liang Qu introduced the dragon brothers to them: "Since you've never been to other great lakes and must relocate, you should first investigate the situation before deciding."

After bowing to the dragon brothers, Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin hesitated: "Your lordship speaks wisely, yet Pingyang Prefecture lies within the Huaijiang Great Marsh, far from Penglze—going and returning cannot be done in a day..."

Long Pingjiang smiled: "Don't worry—how we arrived, you two will arrive the same way. It won't take half a minute."

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan pondered his words, feeling a sense of disbelief.

Could it be...

They exchanged glances briefly.

"We're willing to try!"

At parting:

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin unfastened a small cloth bag from his waist, untied the opening, and poured out its contents.

Splash.

Nine translucent, rounded mer-tears, each enclosed in a small mesh pouch, labeled with tiny tags to distinguish differences.

"These were gathered from our parents and kin—please, my lord, do not confuse them."

"Rest assured."

He gave his word.

The merfolk followed the dragon brothers into the channel and vanished.

Long Long Binglin sighed: "Though small, your clan has its talents." Liang Qu nodded.

The matter proved far easier than imagined.

He gripped the nine mer-tears.

Instantly refined!

【Water Marsh Essence +22144】

【Master: Liang Qu】

【Refined Marsh Spirit: Water King Monkey (Purple) (Fusion: 1.25%)】

【Water Marsh Essence: 85,372】

Pingyang Prefecture.

A whirl of dizziness.

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan tumbled out of the channel, regained their senses, and nervously scanned their surroundings.

Their fin membranes fluttered gently.

They weren't certain if they'd reached the Huaijiang Great Marsh, but they keenly sensed the water quality differed subtly from their clan's home—definitely not the same body of water!

Splash.

Fishermen on the river stood up, paddled the water, and their small boat rocked as they glared and shouted curses at the scoundrels tangled in their nets.

Different accent!

Could it be—in mere breaths—they'd crossed half the Huaijiang and changed marshes?

The merfolk's mouths went dry.

What kind of divine power?

Long Pingjiang noticed their shock and pressed on: "Why not come ashore and take a look?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan still couldn't believe it: "Won't we disturb the villagers?"

"No issue," Long Pingjiang waved his hand. "Elsewhere in Pingyang Prefecture might be uncertain, but this place is Shangrao Bu, under Yixing Town. The locals here are well-traveled—just don't mention the channel. The rest, my brother and I will handle."

After hesitation—

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin bowed.

"Thank you, Brothers Pingjiang and Pinghe."

Half an hour later.

Long Pinghe led the stunned Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan through the channel, returning to Penglze.

River Office.

Hearing the news that merfolk had appeared on land in Pingyang Prefecture, drawing crowds of curious villagers.

Xu Xu Yue set down his wolf-hair brush, and a figure instantly flashed through his mind.

"Where are Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe? Summon them!"

The mer-clan.

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan returned to their clan under cover of night.

Creak.

Inside the small hut, a young merman reading a tale by the glow of a jellyfish suddenly bristled his scales, reflexively smacking the glowing jellyfish down and hiding the book, pretending to sleep.

"Don't hide—I'm back!"

"Brother Quan Guangqin brother, Brother Quan Yuxuan brother!"

The merfolk picked up the jellyfish from the ground, slapped it a few times until it glowed again, then gathered close, chattering all at once.

"Brother Quan Yuxuan brother, is the second volume of 'Silver Vase Osmanthus' coming?"

"Crude reading material! If you're borrowing, borrow 'Thirty-Six Tactics of the Heavenly Blade'!"

"What's the point of fighting and killing? Better to read 'The Eastern Chamber'! 'The Eastern Chamber' is number one in the world!"

"Stop dreaming," Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan shut the door. "You didn't get a single book."

The merfolk were deeply disappointed; they sat or lay down, some reading, others chatting idly.

Only a few merfolk stepped forward, paying attention to the true purpose of the two's journey.

"Did the Dragon Elder agree?"

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin nodded: "Of course he agreed. Brother Quan Yuxuan and I went to the Jianghuai Great Marsh—it's not much different from Peng Ze. Life there won't be too hard."

"The Jianghuai Great Marsh? Don't joke, Brother Quan Guangqin brother, Brother Quan Yuxuan brother," said the merman who had been reading, closing his book. "You were out barely half an hour. You couldn't even reach the edge of Peng Ze. How could you have reached the Jianghuai Great Marsh? Even the Dragon Lord alive couldn't have done it."

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan stared silently at the speaking merman.

The merfolk realized they weren't joking.

The merfolk scratched his fin.

"Really?"

……

A dike collapses through a mosquito's hole; qi escapes through a needle's point.

There was now progress in subduing the merfolk.

Liang Qu finally freed himself and headed deep into Peng Ze.