Chapter 723

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

Liang Qu understood the implication: do not give the opponent a chance, do not let yourself fall into a situation where you have to use the jade tablet. It is an insurance policy for when you are at the end of your rope, not a foundation for acting recklessly.

"I will strictly follow Teacher's teachings."

"Whether you follow them or not, it is only effective if you know it in your own heart," the Prince of Yue reached out. "Bring it here."

Liang Qu was stunned: "Bring... bring what?"

"Tianshan Kun Jade, washed by the cold springs of mountain streams, worth a thousand gold per coin, containing spiritual energy. Most of what I have on hand was bestowed by the Holy Emperor. I won't ask for much, just the cost price: 48,000 taels."

Gulp!

Liang Qu swallowed his saliva, subconsciously clutching the silver notes in his bosom.

Wait a minute.

Why is he asking for money?

"There are two kinds of geniuses. The first kind is invincible from childhood; when studying, they don't need a teacher's instruction, they have a photographic memory, they learn at a glance, and they can't wait to pass the child scholar exam in a year. When learning martial arts, it's even more incredible; breaking through barriers and advancing is like eating and drinking, and they are surrounded by stars like the moon.

The second kind is ordinary in their youth, with decent grades but not outstanding, not hardworking or diligent in cultivation. After reaching adulthood, their momentum surges, as if their potential is endless and they are invincible. Your immediate superior, Prefect Su, is such a person.

But of the two kinds of geniuses, except for a few with extraordinary experiences, the second kind often goes further. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"The reason is mostly that they weren't given special treatment in their youth, and the expectations they received on a daily basis were lower. They focused on their true selves, kept their minds on their cultivation, and when they encountered hardships and difficulties, their resilience and creativity were stronger.

Therefore, do not think that because you are gifted, you should have everything and enjoy everything. What is easily gained is easily lost; what is gained with difficulty is lost with difficulty."

He's afraid I'll end up like the child prodigy in the story of Zhong Yong, right?

The words had reached this point.

Liang Qu couldn't say much more, so he had to take out the silver notes and count out 48,000 to give to the Prince of Yue.

Then he pinched what was left in his hand.

A few thin sheets.

12,000...

Household expenses were not small; just the food bill was at least a few hundred taels a month, and one horse from Red Mountain could eat several dozen.

Fortunately, he had received his salary in April and May, otherwise, he would have barely over 10,000. Later, he would have to make a fake jade tablet, which would inevitably cost another few thousand taels.

Damn, why am I starting to get poor?

He put away the jade tablet.

While calculating his income and expenses, Liang Qu asked the question he cared about most: "Teacher, regarding the flood dragon, will Prince Su send a fleet and army to follow?"

"Why do you care about this?"

"Perhaps I could follow along to broaden my horizons..."

An army of 100,000 was no different from a wonder.

Although it had no great use in itself, it could form "momentum," assisting their own Wu Sheng.

If the fleet went, with hundreds of thousands of people swarming, Liang Qu felt there might be a chance to fish in troubled waters, using his water-travel ability to run to the outskirts of the Long Gong and take advantage of it; who knows what good things he might receive.

The territory of the entire Jianghuai Great Marsh was so vast that it was definitely not difficult to gather a wisp of long-breath in a year. It was likely all collected in the Long Gong. The demon race didn't use long-breath, but that didn't mean they wouldn't collect it to trade.

Conversely, if the army didn't move and only the three Martial Saints went, it would be too conspicuous for one more person to run over. Even the Toad King could sense something was wrong, let alone the flood dragon.

"No, the fleet won't go. Most likely they won't fight; if they go, it's hard to say."

Things went contrary to his wishes.

"Then when will they make a move?"

The Prince of Yue glanced at Liang Qu: "When the wind rises and waves form, Martial Saints and heaven and man sense each other. Many things have nothing to do with whether they are kept secret or not; once said, they are no longer effective. You just wait with peace of mind. Since it was spoken for by His Majesty, your share won't be missing."

He received confirmation again.

Liang Qu's eyes shone brightly.

He definitely couldn't eat the Great Medicine of Creation right now.

Regardless of elixirs or precious plants, the surging medicinal power alone could burn him to death, but even the worst ones could be exchanged for several types of Great Medicine!

……

Half a day passed in a flash.

Boxes upon boxes of treasures were transported into the River and Lake Office, piling up like a mountain, the peaks poking out above the walls, and the registrars registered them one by one.

Late at night.

Tender green lotus leaves curled, their green stalks swaying, standing tall like a young girl standing on tiptoe. A turtle saw a small fish in the pond and paddled its claws into the water.

Splash~

A light drizzle began to fall from the sky, water droplets dripped from the tips of the lotus leaves, and the smell of damp, oily earth dispersed. In just a few breaths, the rainwater washed over the stone slabs, reflecting the shimmering moonlight.

Have the Martial Saints left?

Liang Qu looked up.

When they arrived, the treasure ship's carriage had dispersed the dark clouds; now that the light rain was falling again, it was clearly the Martial Saints leaving.

Toad clan territory.

The Toad King seemed to sense something. Carrying a large anchor on its shoulder, it leaped out of the cave and, according to the agreement, headed toward the northern water territory.

Dust scattered on the riverbed, and the fat catfish spat out the sand and gravel in its mouth, reporting to the Heavenly God for the first time.

It's here!

Inside the wooden house, steam rolled and surged.

Liang Qu opened the wooden window.

The cicada senses the autumn wind before it moves; the Toad King's unusual movement further verified his conjecture.

The cool night wind washed into the hot spring room. Under the wooden house, the large beaver and the otter-otter wore white towels on their heads, soaking in the hot spring, sighing and lamenting. In the small house two steps away, one could still faintly see the hazy figure of the Dragon Girl by the moonlight.

Long Yanrui wiped the sweat from his face, feeling worried: "Elder, can the three Martial Saints really hold off the Flood Long Wang?"

The Flood Long Wang, having digested most of the legacy, had countless water abilities, and it was the home field of the Long Gong, with thousands of snake tribes ready to act. Although the human Prince Su was formidable, the Prince of Yue and Prince Bohai were far inferior in strength...

Liang Qu closed the wooden window and shook his head: "It is not a time of life and death, so the account cannot be calculated that way."

Was today's matter on the surface just the three Martial Saints?

No!

Along with the Martial Saints was the attitude of Great Shun!

Martial Saints cannot be moved lightly, but if a small matter develops into a big one, it is worth moving!

If the flood dragon refuses today and beats back the three Martial Saints, tomorrow five will come!

The flood dragon is a bit of a coward, although I don't know the reason, but a demon king who can be this cowardly will definitely not fail to understand this point.

"Did the River and Lake Office issue a notice today? Telling the fishermen not to go out on their boats."

Long Pingjiang shook his head: "No."

"That is dangerous..."

……

Rumble.

Lightning split the dark, cloud-filled sky, and the rain poured down. The fishing boats were tied to the shore, bumping and clustering together.

"Strange, it's not August or September, where did such heavy rain come from?"

"Not just the rain, the wind is also strangely strong. If I hadn't come back quickly, I would have almost been blown onto my butt."

"What a pity, such a large fleet, if they dump their food and waste into the river, how many big fish will it attract?"

In the tea stall, two or three fishermen were drinking hot tea, discussing the changeable weather tonight.

They had thought it was just a light rain and had gone out to fish as usual, but for some reason, the rain suddenly became heavy, and then the river wind began to rise. The small sampans couldn't withstand the big waves, so the fishermen had to honestly return to their boats and tie the ropes. By the time they all got ashore, the wind was so strong that people couldn't even stand still.

"When is the River God Festival being held this year?"

"What, craving meat?"

"Heh, a little. Elder Chen just said it was postponed, but didn't say how long. I heard it's because Magistrate Liang suffered internal injuries, and we have to wait for Magistrate Liang to recover. We don't know when he'll be better."

"Did Magistrate Liang really get injured? I saw him rowing a boat on the river with a woman two days ago."

"Do you understand internal injuries? If you can see it, that's not an internal injury, is it?"

"That makes sense..."

Boom!

A giant wave surged, overturning two sampans and rushing straight onto the shore, submerging the ankles of the fishermen in the tea stall, startling the tea guests under the tent into jumping up.

Lightning danced like a snake in the air, and black and white shadows intertwined and fought.

An immense fear loomed overhead!

Underwater.

The Sea Shopkeeper stopped the fleet, opened her eight tentacles to protect the merchant fleet, and watched as a fish, a turtle, and a toad fought from north to south.

"Mommy, the River God is showing his spirit!"

The fishermen rushed out of the tea stall and fled into the street.

(End of chapter)