Becoming a God from a Water Monkey

Chapter 1143 Five Poisons, Nine Deadly Poisons, and Twenty-Four Fiends (Two-in-One)

"Huh huh huh~"

A small red clay stove heated two pieces of charcoal, while water in a clay pot simmered gently.

Shen Zhongliang hummed a little tune, picked up the ceramic jar, picked out the pickled red spider lilies from the jar, took a small bite, found it to be very salty and fresh, nodded in satisfaction, then took out the red spider lilies and cut them into sections the length of scallions.

"Old Song, you'd better make sure you do the abacus beads right. This year's autumn tax for the Heavenly Fire Sect is absolutely not going to go wrong. The abacus beads may be small, but they're bigger than my head, Shen Zhongliang, the elder of the Finance Department. You better remember, what you're doing is flipping my head."

"Elder Shen, please rest assured." The Accountant of the Department of Revenue, with a white beard, carefully calculated the blood treasures by turning the abacus. "I have been following you since the time of Xuanming Sect and have been consuming blood treasures for thirty years. I have already calculated it carefully."

Shen Zhongliang's face hardened: "Xuanming Sect, Xuanming Sect? What Xuanming Sect? There's only the River God Sect now! What does the Xuanming Sect have to do with you?"

"None of my business!"

"Yes, if you're careful in everything, you can't go wrong."

"understand."

Shen Zhongliang put the chopped spider lilies into the clay pot, let the boiling water cool and settle, and after a while, it boiled again, and the aroma spread.

"Eating pickled vegetables and blood-nourishing herbs, even the sect leader can't compare to me!"

Before Shen Zhongliang could even put the spider lily mixed with blood essence into his mouth...

The abacus stopped clicking.

"Is something wrong?"

"Elder, the accounts don't match up," the accountant said, trembling with fear.

Shen Zhongliang frowned and slammed down his chopsticks.

"Something's not right. Don't talk nonsense."

"I dare not," Si Ji said fearfully. "From September this year to September next year, we have to hand over a total of 1,500 portions of second-grade blood treasures. The Heavenly Fire Sect has already reduced the amount considerably, but now, in September, October, and November, after deducting necessary expenses, the total amount collected from various places is only 300 portions in the treasury. In other words, we are short 75 portions of blood treasures."

Seventy-five short?

Shen Zhongliang was shocked; he didn't remember taking that much.

"How can there be such a big difference? You must have miscalculated."

"That's right..."

"Can you check the account?"

The clerk quickly flipped through the documents: "Found it, found it. Last month, the River God Sect Master, the Heavenly Fire Sect, hosted a banquet and gave out eighty second-grade blood treasures, but the River God Sect Master did not reciprocate. It has been missing ever since. Fill this gap and the number will be correct."

Shen Zhongliang breathed a long sigh of relief.

It wasn't him after all; it was the River God Sect Master.

He said he has always been sensible and would never touch taxes.

How could eighty Grade 2 Blood Treasures cost so much? What dishes did the River God order?

Is this a treat or a bribe?
He didn't think anything was unusual when he organized the banquet...

Take a stroll around.

Is there any way to fix it?

"The sect leader should accept Elder Tianhuo's gift money and make up for it; that should be fine."

"Of course there's a gift of money. I'm asking you if you have any way to avoid opening it!" Shen Zhongliang was not satisfied and slammed his hand on the table. "You're making the sect leader take out the gift of money to fill the hole. How does that show the competence of our Department of Revenue? Anyone can do accounting. If we only have accountants, what's the point of keeping us around? Wouldn't it be better to find a tutor? The key is whether we can increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and squeeze out the shortfall!"

The accountant looked troubled: "The sect's relocation and the resettlement of relatives will incur huge expenses. We also need to recruit more people. The Heavenly Fire Sect has calculated the tax reductions and exemptions they are offering. If we try to squeeze them from other places, many projects will have to be put on hold. It's a chain reaction..."

"Let me see it." Shen Zhongliang took the ledger, flipped through it briefly, and then, with a flourish of his brush, wrote with powerful strokes, "Here, here, here, change everything, and it'll be done, won't it?"

"Salary halved in March?"

"The relocation of the sect is difficult, so everyone should tighten their belts."

"Family members' room postponed?"

"Anyway, we have a place to stay back home. It's no problem to come two months later. Men can't stand being cooped up. We can go back and talk to the pleasure boat at the foot of the mountain. We can still make some money."

The accountant reviewed the records, but before they could be reconciled, another disciple hurriedly climbed the mountain.

"Reporting to the elder, someone from the Heavenly Fire Sect has arrived!"

"Who?" Shen Zhongliang suddenly stood up.

"It's the envoy who sent us the top-grade blood treasure last time. His name is Fu Ruo'an. He represents the Heavenly Fire Sect and is stationed at the River God Sect."

"How could it be so fast..." Shen Zhongliang was secretly shocked.

As sects directly under the Heavenly Fire Sect, first and second-rank sects naturally wouldn't just sit back and do nothing. Heavenly Fire Sect members would be stationed within these sects to oversee them, but no one expected them to arrive so quickly.

"Go and tell the elders to go out and greet them."

"Yes!"

"Elder Shen, our accounts..." The accountant stepped forward with a worried expression. The arrival of people from the Heavenly Fire Sect would inevitably involve checking the accounts, and if they found anything amiss, their intervention would cause trouble.

"What's the panic!" Shen Zhongliang flicked his sleeve, calm and collected. "I, Shen, have gotten to where I am today by sucking up to the powerful. Let's go, let's go meet this envoy!"

Doesn't the river god understand what it means that he won't fill the hole with the gift money?
……

Lao Yingtian held the Super Grade Blood Treasure in his hand, its light surging.

It's so beautiful, absolutely gorgeous.

How do I use it?
Exchanging numerous first-grade blood treasures to directly bribe the elders of the Genealogy Department? That would be the most wasteful approach. Without a middleman, the likely outcome would be that they would accept the blood treasures but not do anything. But if you don't exchange them, you only have one super-grade blood treasure. What should you do with it?
Strike the snake at its vital spot.

If used well, it might lead to success in one go, with the remaining seven first-grade coins to keep for personal use. If used poorly, all efforts will be in vain.

"Brother, didn't you say yesterday that you would introduce me to some outstanding young people? Why are you so quiet?" Lao Mengyao lay on the table, imitating handwriting, copying the sect's regulations.

"Oh, he's scared."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Lao Mengyao was completely baffled.

"Who knows? When they see my sister, they'll feel ashamed of themselves."

Lao Yingtian thought about Bao Jiaxiang's reaction.

After leaving the Sixth Treasure Vault that day, Bao Jiaxiang was terrified and dared not have any contact with him again. Naturally, the plan to introduce his sister to him fell through.

Timid as a mouse.

Snapped!
Holding the premium blood treasure tightly, Lao Yingtian had another plan in mind.

Did your master say when he would return from the River God Sect?

"No."

"Be attentive to your master whether you need it or not. Wash his bedding and clothes. Don't be oblivious. Elder Yu is someone who can accomplish great things."

"Oh, I'm not stupid, I know, I know."

……

The Blood River boundary is in dynamic change.

The vast mortal realm, intending to create more vengeful spirits, has seen the forty-odd Zhenxiang team led by Hebo arrive at the center of the main city of Nanhai County to receive a banquet from the King of Nanhai.

The journey from the boat to the Prince's Mansion, a mere ten miles or so, attracted countless gazes.

"Hot, so hot."

Bats hung from trees, shouting and yelling in the shadows; wild boars were covered in mud, their tails whipping like little whirlwinds, getting wet with every step they took; otters carried their staffs and baggage, their tails dragging on the ground, their features drooping, the whole otter half-melted and half-dissolved.

Soldiers cleared the road.

People peered out from the alleyways, watching in amazement at this strangely shaped procession.

Long Eying couldn't stand the noise, so she created an iceberg for them and had the wild boar drag it along. The water beast pounced and hugged it tightly, overjoyed.

"Haha, Iceberg, watch my Heavenly Dragon Drill! Whoosh!" The little mirage dragon twisted its body, spun wildly, turned into a small whirlwind, burrowed inside and swam, sticking to the ice surface and making faces at the otter.

"I'm alive..."

The bat wiped away its sweat, stuck out its tongue, shook its hot rear end, and spread its limbs to sit on the iceberg.

Black bats shouldn't be out during the day.

"This is really strange! Everyone here has short hair and tattoos!" Long Li looked around.

"'Short hair and tattoos, fondness for water and war, and using boats for transportation'—this is the characteristic of the Southern Frontier." Liang Qu looked around and said, "Nanhai County is adjacent to the Southern Frontier, and faces the sea, so it is inevitable that it will be influenced by its customs."

In the Central Plains, cutting one's hair and getting a tattoo is a punishment-like act, but it's common practice in the southern border regions.

When everyone does it this way, there's no shame in being an exception, and it gradually becomes a habit.

"Why is there such a custom?" Long Li asked curiously.

"Firstly, the weather is too hot; if you don't cut your hair short, the lice in your hair alone will be enough to drive you crazy. Secondly, with water on three sides and the sky on one side, such an environment is more likely to foster ancestor worship and special customs."

The saying goes, "With a dragon tattoo on one's body, the fishing boat will have no worries about the dragon." If the waters of Jiangnan are gentle, then the waters of the southern border are fierce.

The main reason is the hot climate. While the Jiangnan region has four distinct seasons, southern Xinjiang is like summer all year round, with a humid environment and abundant snakes, insects, and rodents, creating a more difficult and harsh living environment. In such a harsh environment, people are more accustomed to banding together to fight against it, while simultaneously rejecting outsiders who might try to take over their limited living space; this manifests as clanism and ferocity.

"I see." Long Yanrui suddenly realized.

He enjoyed listening to the elders' analyses, and he could always glean a truth from them—all people in the world are the same, and all the differences are caused by their environment.

Although I don't know if it's right or wrong, the meaning it conveyed was very pleasant, and it was completely different from the arrogance of others.

Upon hearing the sounds of snakes, insects, rats, and ants, Long Yao and Long Li felt nauseous and quickly stepped away from the bushes.

Liang Qu chuckled with a touch of wicked amusement: "The blood collection of mayflies in the Southern Frontier is a different story. It's everywhere, even in the breath. The South China Sea Prefecture is so close. You've been here all night. There are probably many unseen insects that have already crawled into your bodies, lived in your flesh, and reproduced and laid eggs!"

"what!"

The two of them got goosebumps, held their breath, and clutched the herbal sachets on their bodies tightly.

"You're just trying to scare them. You'll be happy if they scare you away and make a fuss about going back. Who's going to clean your room? Do you want to open it?" Long Eying said irritably.

"That's right, that's right!" Long Yao and Long Li echoed in unison, "Otter cleaned your room, it was full of fur!"

Liang Qu shrugged.

Upon entering the palace, one is greeted by ice platforms spewing out cold air, causing the water beasts to cheer and disperse.

After asking the steward of the Prince's mansion and receiving permission, the water beasts all plunged into the pond, sighing and lamenting.

comfortable.

Before the meal, the King of the South Sea did not show up. Only Shi Wei, the steward of the King's mansion, brought over a map and a sand table.

"Generals, please take a look. This is the current situation map!"

Liang Qu and Ji Yanyu stood at the front, and the others followed in turn, craning their necks.

Liang Qu was the Marquis of Xingyi, the most powerful; Ji Yanyu was the leader of Southern Zhili, the theoretical head.

If they want to see the pictures, naturally the two of them should look first; it would be rather rude for others to crowd in.

"It's a complete mess," Ji Yanyu said, his brow furrowed in worry.

Three hundred li west of Nanhai County lies the front line marked in red.

But before the White Ape incident in June this year, this red-marked front line should not have been near Nanhai County, but rather a thousand miles further west to Qinzhou and Linjiang, with the Lao'ai Mountain and the Lucang River as the two natural barriers!
Qinzhou and Linjiang are now both within the red line. Even if they are not captured, control of southern Xinjiang would have a greater impact!
“Lu Cangjiang…”

Liang Qu's gaze was not on Qinzhou or Linjiang, but rather crossed the Lao'ai Mountain and landed on a large river with a strange trajectory.

The E River in Beiting, and the Huangsha and Huai Rivers in Dashun, are three major rivers that, except for a few sections, all run in a relatively obvious east-west direction.

The Lucang River in southern Xinjiang runs north-south, much more so than east-west!
The reason is nothing more than the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The existence of the Ten Thousand Mountains has drastically altered the course of this great river, forcing it to flow eastward in steps and then southward in search of its outlet. By the time it finally reaches the sea, it has traveled far east and west, but mostly north and south.

The Lucang River is precisely where Southern Xinjiang is preparing to transform the false dragon into a true dragon!
The hope for the transformation of the drought demon's fruit!
The Lucang River has always been under the alternating control of the Da Shun and Nanjiang.

The main challenge for Southern Xinjiang is how to firmly control the Lucang River and carry out a grand dragon-transformation ceremony.

Housekeeper Shi Wei explained: "I heard that Marquis Xingyi participated in the Great War of Beiting. However, the Southern Frontier is different from Beiting. This place has 100,000 mountains, with overlapping peaks and complex terrain. There is also a lot of miasma in the jungle. Building the Great Wall is too difficult and too costly. Therefore, we will prefer to use means such as stronghold control and road defense, and rely on the interlocking of the triangular areas."

Among so many masters of the Zhenxiang Sect present, Shi Wei singled out Liang Qu and spoke to him, which shows his high status.

There was no other way; Liangqu had learned from past mistakes. The Battle of Beiting two years ago was fought brilliantly, with three out of eight beasts killed in ten days. One of the key reasons was Liangqu's timely maneuvering and formidable fighting power.

Now that Liangqu is stronger, no, several times stronger, Nanhai County inevitably places high hopes on it.

Liang Qu nodded, signaling the other party to continue.

Shi Wei pointed to Qinzhou and Linjiang, which were already within the red line: "Qinzhou and Linjiang were originally our two main strongholds. However, as you all know, a major event occurred in the middle of this year. Tiantong and Baicaojian produced two kinds of powerful Gu worms, catching us off guard. Now, both of these strongholds have fallen and been occupied by the Southern Frontier."

"So these two outposts contain the Southern Frontier's precious elephant?"

"Of course there is." Shi Wei didn't understand what Liang Qu meant.

"Are there any Southern Frontier Dragons?"

"Yes... there is."

"Yes, I have."

Liang Qu looked regretful.

Surrounding Zhenxiang and Shiwei, their brows twitched.

No.

So what if I have it, and so what if I don't?
So you put it on without me?

"Lord Xingyi, the stronghold is easy to defend but difficult to attack, the terrain is complex, and the Gu worms in the southern border are powerful and extremely difficult to deal with. If we are to take action, we need to plan carefully." Shi Wei said earnestly.

"I am aware of the difficulties, but why would the imperial court send people to support you?"

That makes sense.

Shi Wei fell silent.

The hall was rather quiet.

This guy's just bragging.

The Southern Zhili masters who came with them exchanged glances.

Liang Qu is indeed powerful; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill the three beasts. However, he doesn't seem to be able to see the situation or the overall picture clearly.

The current situation is different from that of Beiting in the past. When dealing with Beiting, the two sides were evenly matched, and Da Shun even had the advantage, which is why there was so much room for Liang Qu to maneuver.

The advantage now lies in southern Xinjiang, but it's not flat land; it's a quagmire. No one can lift you up; in fact, they might even hold you back. If someone were to crash headlong into it, they might be doomed.

Shi Wei didn't want to say much; saying anything would be pointless and might even offend the other party, making them think he was looking down on them.

Why should I, a mere butcher, do any job or work? We're not related by blood or marriage, so why bother?
"So all the strongholds have now been consolidated in Nanhai County?" Ji Yanyu asked.

“That’s right, as you all have seen on the front lines.” Shi Wei pointed east. “Right now, we are using the South Sea County as our logistical support, Ha Long Bay as our front line, and the Red River as our barrier to block their advance.”

"Is there a martial arts master in Ha Long Bay?" Liang Qu interrupted again.

“Ha Long Bay…” Shi Wei looked at Ji Yanyu.

So... does it exist or not?
"Why are you looking at him?" Liang Qu tapped the table. "I have a question for you."

“There is no martial arts master in Ha Long Bay,” Shi Wei answered honestly.

There is no Martial Saint!

Liang Qu was overjoyed.

Shi Wei: "..."

Are you happy?

“The Marquis of Xingyi should act together,” Ji Yanyu said, unable to sit still any longer.

"I know, I know, I know what I'm doing." Liang Qu waved his hand. "Are there any skilled fighters in the Southern Frontier comparable to the Eight Beasts and Twelve Wolves of the Northern Court?"

"Yes, Marquis of Xingyi, yes." Shi Wei nodded repeatedly, "The Northern Court has eight beasts and twelve wolves, and the Southern Frontier has five poisons, nine deadly creatures, and twenty-four evil spirits!"

Five poisons, nine deadly poisons, and twenty-four evil spirits!

Liang Qu secretly kept it in mind.

There are quite a few.

"Wait a minute, I have a question." Long Yanrui raised his hand, "Why do Southern Xinjiang and Northern Court have such imposing titles, but Da Shun doesn't?"

Everyone was stunned.

Yes.

Why isn't Da Shun included?

Liang Qu asked in surprise, "Why not? Isn't my Marquis of Xingyi the Northwest King of Longxiang?"

“This… isn’t quite the same?” Long Yanrui scratched his head.

“Actually, it’s the same.” Liang Qu pointed to the southern border on the map. “Eight beasts and twelve wolves, five poisons and nine deadly creatures, twenty-four evil spirits, do these really sound good? Rather than honorific titles, they are more like bandit titles. Ultimately, they are psychological countermeasures under the asymmetry of power.”

Ji Yanyu asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Liang Qu paused for a moment, took seven steps, and prepared his speech.

"Faced with the powerful comprehensive national strength and cultural influence of the Central Plains, the Northern Court and Southern Frontier, as relatively weak forces, are at a psychological and cultural disadvantage."

They need a 'depersonalized' or 'inhuman' way to describe and combat this overwhelming sense of oppression, which is a form of mental self-protection.

This is also a psychological weapon. Titles like "beast" and "poison" are exaggerated in the process of being spread, further amplifying and spreading fear, and making up for their lack of overall strength and organizational ability.

This system of titles also helps the faction to build a sense of identity and fighting spirit within itself, and to wrest back the 'right to define' culture from the hands of us, the people of the Central Plains.

On the contrary, in our opinion, such titles are more domineering than meaningful, have a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), and are barbaric and immature. Wouldn't it be much better to earn the honor of being a champion marquis?
A single imperial decree, a great victory, or the presence of a renowned general—their deterrent power far exceeds that of a hundred 'Tiger Kings'!

Everyone's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)