Chapter 601: Everything You Pick Up, You Can Pick Up

The merfolk hesitated, torn between choices.

The fat catfish had no worries, flicking its long whiskers as it devoured fruit.

Splash!

Silver beads dripped down.

Long Long Eying sat sideways on the fish's back, lightly kicking the water; the current surged past her ankles, splitting into ripples that flowed outward.

"How do the four seasonal long-qi combine into temporal long-qi?"

Liang Qu lay reclined on the fat catfish's head, gazing up at the sky.

Inside the cauldron.

Four distinct long-qi—green, yellow, orange, white—twined and spun like the rotating colored pole outside a barber shop.

Clearly, the interconnection among the four seasonal long-qi far surpasses the bond between withered trees reviving in spring or heaven's water meeting morning dew.

Quantity change leads to quality change.

Not enough individual units?

Must the old turtle nurture them longer?

The four long-qi of spring, summer, autumn, and winter are undoubtedly the greatest gain from this journey to Peng Ze.

Separately, each has immense utility—not to mention elevating the favored, they could even create two Entering Zhen Xiang Masters for Long Long Eying and Long Long Binglin, allowing them to roam the water marshes without ever facing a Demon King.

Yet there exists a higher-tier temporal long-qi, leaving one anxious and reluctant to split it apart…

Splash!

Water sprayed in all directions.

"My lord!"

"Long Binglin!" Liang Qu sat up, "How are the merfolk faring?"

"The young merfolk are extremely agitated; relocation progress has slowed to near standstill."

"Good."

Liang Qu's eyes brightened sharply.

If the merfolk cannot move, it proves our plan is working—many of them are drawn to the land.

"Elder, should we speak again with Quanguangqin and the others?"

"No need," Liang Qu shook his head. "Let our open strategy wear them down slowly. Brother Quan Brother Quan Linghan will soon be stretched thin. Stirring up more trouble would seem too eager. The young are energetic, fond of novelty, but not foolish. Delivering gifts once a day, then every other day, may prove more effective than daily deliveries."

Long Long Binglin offered no objection.

Elder Liang may lack high cultivation, but he holds firm convictions, always turning danger into safety; his understanding is clear, never inviting trouble, and he excels at leveraging the needs of all parties to his advantage. As a guardian, he somehow inspires a sense of security.

"Let's go back."

"Elder Frog…"

"We're treasure-hunting in Peng Ze—we won't lose anything."

Long Long Binglin reached out and gripped the fish's fin.

Long Long Eying drew her legs up, sitting sideways.

The water enclosed the two and the beast; Liang Qu activated 【Water Movement】, transforming into a white current that darted beneath the surface.

As they reached the middle of the Huaijiang River, a familiar figure entered his spiritual sense.

Splash!

The water dispersed.

"Old Bei?"

Old Tridacna halted, raising its head in surprise.

The submerged creature drifted before Old Tridacna; Liang Qu scrutinized it from head to toe.

He had encountered Old Tridacna during the Great Hunt in Huangzhou, yet had not seen it since—until now, at the mouth of the Huaijiang River.

Welfare code: vip666vip888vip999

1. Log in to receive a Gold-Digging Divine Beast, super log-in bonus: Gold-Digging Divine Beast, super fun

2. Instant max attack speed upon entering server, 99 cuts per second, instant max attack speed upon entering server, 99 cuts per second

3. Map unrestricted, instantly kill monsters across entire map, map unrestricted, instantly kill monsters across entire map

Start Game

Start Game

Blue Shell: "If you're coming to Peng Ze, why not tell us ahead of time? I could have met you directly."

"Only by walking a thousand miles can one truly admire the scenery along the way!"

Old Tridacna's entire body was hard everywhere.

"Half a li east lies a waterway. You…" Liang Qu raised his hand, clenching his fingers; within half a cup of tea's time, a swirling water channel coalesced. "From the dock where our boat is moored to Peng Ze, the waterways are mostly connected."

"Oh, by the way, there's a merfolk clan to the south—several hundred strong. I want to bring them to Huaijiang, but the elder merfolk are wary. Could you help me persuade them? I'll have the river dolphins escort you."

If a dragon person tries to persuade them, it backfires.

Old Tridacna, with his slow, deliberate nature and alien race, would appear neutral.

"To speak on your behalf, I shall temporarily forsake my pleasure of sightseeing!"

Old Tridacna shifted slightly, then plunged headfirst into the vortex.

Let Long Long Binglin and Long Long Eying return first.

Liang Qu went ashore to find a furniture shop to prepare a flat, wide gift box for the tortoise shell.

"Can you finish it tonight?"

The apprentice set down the shell fragment and measured its dimensions: "Sir, you're giving this as a birthday gift to Master Xu, aren't you?"

Liang Qu smiled: "Have you sold many of these gift boxes?"

"Thanks to Master Xu's favor, we've had a bit of extra income," the apprentice said, measuring carefully, lifting the shell fragment with discerning eyes. "This is tortoise shell, isn't it? I've seen many fine gifts—your gift carries a fine meaning. This single fragment is so large; the original tortoise must have been several zhang wide—a great spirit? Will you use rosewood, yellowheart, or chicken wing wood?"

"It's from General Yuan's childhood—whether shed by a spirit or a great spirit, I don't know. Use nanmu. Carve a single character 'Shou' on one side. Rosewood and yellowheart are too extravagant." "General Yuan?" The apprentice's head spun. "Which General Yuan?"

Liang Qu pointed to the green Shoushan pattern on the shell.

"General Yuan of Peng Ze."

"My lord, don't joke—I can't take it!" The apprentice wiped sweat from his brow, but seeing Liang Qu's silent, serious gaze, his hand holding the fragment trembled slightly. "Really?"

"Why would I joke with a shop assistant?"

The shell shed by General Yuan…

The apprentice's mind turned to mush, like a fish stranded on land in midsummer—mouth open, words stuck in his throat.

Instantly.

The shopkeeper rushed out from the back, washed his hands, and took the shell fragment, examining it repeatedly.

Frankly, he couldn't tell.

He thought for a moment.

"My lord, shall I replace it with rosewood?"

"I want nanmu!"

"I won't charge you."

"Do it."

…

The Xu family residence.

Liang Qu passed through an alley and arrived at the small courtyard where his master was in seclusion. Compared to the solemn atmosphere of the past two nights, the entire courtyard now felt considerably lighter.

Yang Xu, Yu Dun, Lu Gang, and Zhuo Zhuo Shaoqin sat cross-legged cultivating; Xu Xu Yue and Xiang Xiang Zhangsong played chess in the courtyard; Cao Rang and Hu Qi were nowhere to be seen.

He glanced at the chessboard.

Elder Xiang was clearly losing, crushed under attack.

"Has Master not emerged?"

"Not yet."

"Xu Cao Shixiong, have you bought a birthday gift yet?"

"The banquet's tomorrow—if you don't buy now, how will you get one in time? A potted ancient longevity tree—sixty-eight taels and eight!"

Xu Xu Yue held a chess piece, smugly triumphant.

Clearly, after the Great Hunt, he was flush with cash.

"Too bad—I had a set of porcelain ready to give you."

Xu Xu Yue caught the implication, his gaze shifting from the board.

"You brat—did you find something good in Peng Ze?"

"Cao Shixiong is sharp."

Liang Qu pulled out the shell fragment.

"Tortoise shell fragment?"

The senior brothers ceased cultivation and gathered around.

The fragment was fan-shaped; from afar, it appeared black, but up close, it was semi-translucent—a naturally shed thin plate from some giant tortoise.

As a single fragment, it was merely spirit-level—nothing remarkable.

But unlike the untrained shopkeeper, all present had cultivation; they instantly saw the Shoushan pattern in the center.

Spiritual sense connected.

The scene changed instantly.

Tides surged endlessly; towering mountains rose to the heavens, drifting clouds floated ethereally, and an overwhelming sense of insignificance welled up in their hearts.

This…

Everyone stood frozen in place.

Yang Xu's pupils trembled slightly, and he blurted out.

"General Yuan!"

"Senior brother has insight!" Liang Qu grinned. "I had the shed scales from General Peng Ze's childhood armor infused with a trace of qi as proof—used as a birthday gift."

Yang Xu was speechless.

You can pick them up in the Jianghuai Marsh.

Even in Peng Ze?

No.

It's not just about whether you can pick them up—it's that you've befriended General Yuan!

Xu Xu Yue was puzzled: "What General Yuan?"

Yang Xu replied succinctly: "The demon leader of Peng Ze."

The demon leader?

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong thought of the Jianghuai dragon and said nervously: "A Martial Saint?"

Yang Xu shook his head: "No one has ever seen General Yuan fight, but it is unquestionably the demon leader of Peng Ze."

"Your gift, younger brother, is quite terrifying."