Becoming a God from a Water Monkey

Chapter 1187 Offense and Defense Made Easy (6k words, two chapters combined)

"Why did you bring me here?" He Hanyu was dragged by Wen Shiyun's hand, avoiding the servants of the Prince's Mansion, passing through the sunlit corridor, and arriving at the pond in the backyard.

"I'm going to show you something amazing, but don't go around telling everyone."

"What baby?"

"Oh dear, why ask so many questions? I only brought you here because you've been behaving well lately." Wen Shiyun let go of her hand, muttered, and unbuckled her belt.

Hey! Why are you taking your clothes off?

"Shh, shh, shh, what are you yelling for? Of course you have to take off your clothes." Wen Shiyun stuffed the clothes into the leather bag and sealed it, hurriedly covering He Hanyu's mouth, feeling completely bewildered. "If you don't take off your clothes, you'll be all wet."

Wet?

He Hanyu asked nervously, "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Oh dear, you're so boring, as timid as a rabbit. Didn't you say you wanted to see what my master is like? I'll take you to see him." Wen Shiyun, wearing only a pair of shorts, plunged into the pond, creating ripples.

He Hanyu exclaimed with delight: "The Prince of Huai has come to Ningjiang?"

"He didn't come. Master should be in Pingyang right now... Hey, hey, don't go! Look at you, you're in such a hurry. I'm taking you to see him, aren't I?"

"Does your pond lead all the way to Pingyang?"

"Hey! Clever." Wen Shiyun splashed in the pond, beaming with pride. "Didn't my mother give me five days off in May? I went to see my master, and he specially built a waterway for me right under this pond. Just go in and you'll be at my master's Pingyang Mansion in just a few breaths. It's just a bit dizzying though. I almost threw up the first time I went. How about that? The methods of a Martial Saint, never seen anything like it before, have you?"

He Hanyu was suspicious.

She suspected that Wen Shiyun had become corrupted and was using this method to trick her into going astray, but after thinking about it, she felt that there was a stage to becoming corrupted, and that she had never jumped to this level in one go.

"you swear."

"Love goes or goes."

"swear!"

"Fine, fine, I'll lie to you. Fatty will never be a match for the Third Prince, and will always be ridden by him!"

"Who are Ah Fei and the Third Prince?"

"Hurry up, it's already autumn, the water's cold!"

Urged on by Wen Shiyun, He Hanyu, worried that he would catch a cold, made up her mind, took off her coat, boots and socks and stuffed them into her leather bag, leaving only her close-fitting martial arts clothes, and went barefoot into the pond.

In October, the pool water was cold, constantly drawing away body heat, but it was still bearable for the martial artists and the grandson who had been taking precious medicine since childhood.

Wen Shiyun dove to the bottom of the pool, and He Hanyu was surprised to find that there really was a whirlpool quietly swirling at the bottom. She saw Wen Shiyun point to the whirlpool, pinch her nose, curl up into a ball, and plunge in, disappearing without a trace. Understanding what had happened, she also pinched her nose and followed suit.

The world spun around her. He Hanyu was like a die in a jar, experiencing this for the first time. She choked on several mouthfuls of water and swayed for an unknown amount of time before regaining her balance, as if she had been spat into water by a giant beast.

"Wow!"

Two splashes of water.

He Hanyu gasped for breath, breathing heavily and coughing violently, clearly having drunk a lot of water.

"Haha, look! The Jianghuai Great Lake! The largest lake in the world, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Wen Shiyun opened her arms and swam freely, embracing the reeds.

He Hanyu suppressed a cough and looked around.

The river was wide, and in the distance, a patch of white reeds drifted leisurely in the wind. They had indeed miraculously left the palace, and quite far, because there were no such vast reed marshes near the Yue King's Palace.

Have I really arrived at the Jianghuai Marshland?
"Hiss, it's so cold." Wen Shiyun shivered and whistled a loud tune with two short and one long whistle. "Shangraobu is just ahead. I originally wanted Master to take it directly to the courtyard, which would be so convenient, but Master said I'm too old to go to the backyard casually."

"They are all the women of the Prince of Huai. Cough cough, you're all grown up now, how can we let you keep going in there?"

"You women are such a hassle, can't you ever be seen in public?"

"..." He Hanyu suppressed her anger, "Why are you whistling?"

"Call me pig."

"Call me pig?"

"coming!"

Fish fins break the water, creating ripples.

Five finless porpoises then leaped out of the water one after another and swam around the two of them.

He Hanyu asked in surprise, "Did you call this person?"

"Of course it's me. The little finless porpoises under my master's command are all nearby. They are particularly sensitive to sound. Two short and one long sounds are my code with them. Haha, little finless porpoise! ​​It's you today."

Wen Shiyun, ever the familiar type, hugged the leader and climbed onto its back. "Let me introduce you, Jiang Xiaotun, a general under my master, the eldest son of Yuan Tou. He's younger than me, only ten years old, but he's already very capable. You can choose one too, ride it, it's just like riding a horse, faster than swimming. Whew, the water is too cold, let's hurry up and get ashore."

He Hanyu's eyes were opened.

She had never realized that Wen Shiyun had such extensive connections. Unlike the Ningjiang lineage, she seemed more like the Huaijiang lineage. The unfamiliar environment and the water beasts made her nervous, but Wen Shiyun was completely at ease with everything here, full of confidence and ease.

They found a finless porpoise, mounted it, and, surrounded by the porpoise, raced through the waves towards the legendary Shangrao Wharf, a place favored by the river god and now the fiefdom of the Prince of Huai.

"Huh, why is it so lively today? Is it going to be a river god festival?" Wen Shiyun peeked out from the reeds and found a gap to see what was going on.

No fishermen went out to fish today; all the fishing boats gathered at the dock, bumping against each other with the waves. In the middle of the dock, there was a tall armchair, and a young man with his arms outstretched, facing the people of Yixing. Although it was just the back of his head, Wen Shiyun recognized him at a glance.

"Hey, it's Master!"

"That person is the Prince of Huai?"

"Yeah, what else?"

He Hanyu stared intently.

She had seen the King of Yue, a very dignified middle-aged man who inspired awe. The King of Huai before her was completely different; he was young and energetic. Leaning back in his chair, he exuded a sense of awe, yet his profile carried a carefree and easygoing air that made people feel an instant sense of warmth. More importantly, the King of Huai was more handsome than the King of Yue.

"What is Master doing?"

Wen Shiyun wanted to go ashore to join the fun, but He Hanyu grabbed her from behind: "Don't go, can't you see your master is scolding someone? If you go now, you'll only cause trouble for him."

"That makes sense..."

He Hanyu sighed.

How come there's such a big difference between the apprentice and the master?
Silly and dazed.

"Those who started the fight, step forward." Liang Qu scanned the room.

The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment, and then thirteen people stepped forward.

"These are the people? Answer me?"

A low response sound.

Upon hearing this, Liang Qu, using the "Ear Recognition Method," pointed again and said, "You, you, you, all three of you, why do you deny hitting someone? Your crime is compounded!"

Wow!
The three were panicked and at a loss.

They didn't lead the way at all; they just mingled in the crowd and kicked a couple of times. Indeed, after Liang Qu rose to power, Yixing Town didn't collect much grain. But in the first half of their lives, who didn't hate the grain collectors? Even if the same person was different ten years ago and ten years later, they still wanted to kick them a couple of times to vent their anger, and it would be satisfying to see the clerks lying on the ground. Apart from themselves, no one else knew how this could happen...

"Come out!" Li Libo quickly pulled the person out of the crowd and lined them up separately.

"They didn't take action, but what about the encirclement?"

Another batch has been stationed.

"Hey you in the back, speak up!"

"without……"

"you you you."

Liang Qu sat high, his index finger pointing like a sharp sword, piercing people's hearts.

The commotion was even greater when the King of Hell was mustering his troops.

On the day of the incident, Liang Qu was far away in the capital, not in Yixing, and had not experienced anything. How could he know everything so clearly? At that time, hundreds of people were gathered around, and it was all a mess. Who else could know besides himself?

"Master Liang, I won't dare again, I really won't dare!"

"I don't remember. There were too many people. I was pushed up and accidentally stepped on it!"

"So majestic!"

Wen Shiyun shouted.

He wanted it the same way: to call out a name, and those annoying kids in the academy would kneel down in a panic, begging for forgiveness. No one dared to question the evidence; their words were law, their own words were the evidence!

Liang Qu was too lazy to listen: "Jiechang, read it."

Chen Jiechang stepped forward half a body length.

“Those who confess to assaulting someone shall pay ten times the amount and perform three months of hard labor, repairing roads and filling them with stones; those who confess to surrounding someone shall pay five times the amount and perform one month of hard labor, cleaning the bluestone street.”

Those who assault others and refuse to be honest will pay twenty times the amount, and be sentenced to six months of hard labor, digging water conservancy projects. They will be stripped of their tax exemption status and the eligibility for martial arts training, education, and recommendation subsidies for three generations. Those who surround and refuse to be honest will pay ten times the amount, and be sentenced to six months of hard labor, repairing roads and filling in stones. They will also be stripped of the eligibility for martial arts training, education, and recommendation subsidies for two generations.

A virtuous person considers righteousness and not profit; a petty person is greedy for profit and disregards righteousness. Those who have practiced martial arts or studied but commit crimes have never been influenced by the principles of righteousness and integrity; therefore, their martial arts training shall be immediately revoked, and they shall be permanently barred from tax exemption!

The singing stopped.

Liang Liu squatted on the ground, trembling, and waited for a while, but heard nothing more.

He confessed to his crimes honestly, and it seems that Liang Qu wasn't specifically targeting him, so the punishment is acceptable.
The town of Xingzhen, which opposes justice, has been recommended for reading and martial arts training every year, but the subsidies are not given to them. Apart from losing money and three months of forced labor, isn't it the same as before?

Seeing Liang Qu issuing orders, Liang Liu dared not plead for mercy.

If Liang Qu were a seventh or eighth-rank official, or even a fifth or sixth-rank official, he and his father might have dared to plead with him. But Liang Qu was not; he was a king, a king by title! The entire Yixing Town, the neighboring Donghuang Town, Chaohuai Town, Nanxun, Dongxun, Jingci, Tanpan, Zhouxiangtou, Chunyu… countless people, no matter where they couldn’t escape, Liang Qu could kill whomever he wanted. Even county magistrates and prefects couldn’t do that, couldn’t control him. He was so high up that no one knew how high he was. He had lived for eight hundred years; he was like a god.

However, apart from Liang Liu, the rest of them had all lost their parents. Without Liang Qu's recommendation and support, they would have to pay for their own studies and martial arts training. Since there was no one in their family to support them, it would all be a waste of money.

"The imperial court has bestowed upon me the title of Prince of Huai and granted me thirteen ports, one of which is Yixing..."

When Liang Qu spoke, Liang Liu trembled all over, his heart jumped into his throat, and his legs quivered, fearing that he would hear his own name from this "cousin" and become the focus of everyone's attention.

"...From now on, Yixing Town will be Yixing County. Everyone knows what Yixing Town has been like over the past ten years. Now that I'm in charge, it will only be better than the past ten years. I originally wanted to take some time to inform everyone that from now on, there will be no more poll tax, and everyone will have access to education..."

Wow!
Yixing was shocked.

No more poll tax?
"But the imperial court has exempted us from taxes for five years, so I don't think it's necessary to bring it up again. Let's see how it goes in five years..."

He turned and left halfway through his sentence.

Liang Liu was covered in sweat.

End, is it over?
The commotion in Yixing Town was far from over. They couldn't imagine what things would be like five years from now, nor did they understand the hidden meaning in Liang Qu's words. They only thought that this tax resistance had made Liang Qu change his mind and disappointed him, so they glared at the leader with hatred.

The leaders, Chen Dahu and Chen Min, collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Wen Shiyun was deeply moved.

"How is it impressive?"

"Master!" Wen Shiyun turned her head, her face showing surprise and delight. "You knew I was here?"

“I knew when you arrived at the Jianghuai Marsh.” Liang Qu stood on the lake surface, the swirling water lifting Wen Shiyun and He Hanyu out, and casually dried their clothes. “This young lady is…”

“Yes…” Wen Shiyun hesitated, unsure how to introduce her, and mumbled, “He Hanyu, she studied with me.”

"Oh~" Liang Qu drawled out.

He Hanyu was both nervous and excited, and respectfully bowed, saying, "He Hanyu greets the Prince of Huai!"

"No need for formalities, let's go home."

Liang Qu raised his hand to help them up, and the three of them sank down, enveloped by the water, and slowly moved forward along the underground river.

He Hanyu watched in amazement. She could breathe freely, her clothes were clean and dry, and she could see the fish outside the water sphere and the finless porpoises that accompanied her. She reached her hand out of the sphere and could feel the flow of water at her fingertips.

"Master, you just said that we'll see how they perform in five years. Are you planning to decide whether or not to exempt them from taxes based on their performance?"

"No, in five years, the head tax will be worthless. It won't matter whether it's collected or not. I'm just deliberately not saying that to scare them."

The Prince of Huai was quite amusing, He Hanyu thought.

"Huh? How could it be worthless? My father collects a huge sum of money every year, and it all depends on it to keep Ningjiang Prefecture running."

"Because there are more valuable things involved, which are related to consumption and circulation. It's hard to explain to you. We've arrived."

The Prince of Huai has the ability to govern the country, so why does he think of Hanyu?

The three floated to the surface and broke the water to enter the pond.

"I'm home?"

"Ah."

"Little Stone is here too?"

"Teacher's wife! I've come over for a free meal!" Wen Shiyun said casually. "Great, Guan Congjian is coming today too."

"Wuhu! Nephew Guan!"

"The young lady is..."

How beautiful! He Hanyu's pupils dilated. Upon seeing the gentle woman in the pavilion, even as a woman, she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart, combined with the way she was addressed as Wen Shiyun.

"He Hanyu greets Your Highness the Princess."

"No need for formalities."

"You entertain them, I still need to go to the Dragon Palace."

“I’m going too! I want to see the Dragon Palace!” Wen Shiyun raised her hand.

"Where are you going? I'm busy with something. The Dragon Palace is under high water pressure. I'll squeeze you into a meat patty. I don't have time to take care of you."

"Ok."

Liangqu was submerged in the pond.

The Prince of Huai is diligent and hardworking, and there must be a reason why he has achieved what he has today. He Hanyu thought.

"Wuhu..."

Upon hearing the sound, He Hanyu turned her head and saw Wen Shiyun riding a black dog as tall as a person, galloping from the front yard to the back yard, circling twice before suddenly stopping in front of her.

Wen Shiyun patted the dog's head.

"Come on, get on the dog, I'll show you around Yixing."

"Wang!"

"..."

The water bubbles are faint and gentle.

The ancient giant clam shell slowly and leisurely circled around the Dragon Palace.

"Appointing the virtuous and capable is a universal principle. By employing the virtuous and capable, the people can be governed. Frog, in the great marshes of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, is there any beast more virtuous and capable than you? Is there any beast more talented than you?"

The Frog Clan's current status is all thanks to the Frog Lord. However, the Frog Clan is too small to fully utilize even a fraction of the Frog Lord's talents. We must venture into a wider world; from this day forward, you will be the Dragon Palace's Imperial Advisor! I am willing to build you an Imperial Advisor's Mansion and oversee the expenditures of the treasury—all of this will depend on you!

"If there were no frogs in the country, no one would know me."

“It is because your talents are not suited for the world, that I am not worthy of being a marquis.” Liang Qu grabbed the frog’s arm.

"None of the frogs can be reasoned with; alas, their spirits are not open to understanding." The old toad grasped the man's hand.

"Do not say that worldly talents are hard to find use, for Heaven does not create people in vain."

"Liang Qing!"

"Frog!"

"Liang Qing!"

"Frog!"

"Croak!" The Frog King wiped away tears, gazed at the Dragon Palace, and accepted the golden book handed to him by the fat catfish. "Very well! I will become the Imperial Advisor!"

Long Chen, Long Binglin, Long Yanrui, Fat Catfish, "Cannot Move", Round Head... all bowed down.

"Greetings, Imperial Preceptor!"

"Cuck!"

The old toad was overjoyed. Holding the book in its webbed feet, it paddled out of the palace and threw the precious fish it had caught on its journey into the Dragon Palace's treasure trove.

Long Binglin secretly admired the king, thinking he was a genius who had made the treasure toad the national advisor—a stroke of genius.

"Elder, Binglin, Yanrui."

"king!"

Liang Qu's golden eyes lit up: "Disarm."

The three dragons were filled with excitement. They knew what was about to happen and understood Long Eying's transformation. They all took off their shirts and sat cross-legged on the ground.

Liang Qu reached out, his ten fingers probing as if into a river, reaching into his body, to set things right!

Ripples spread, halos flowed, and layers of water rippled across the jade-white skin.

Everything in the world has its own vital energy.

Water can stop, gather, and generate energy.

If you guide it, it will flow smoothly; if you disturb it, it will obstruct.

Movement leads to chaos, while circulation leads to unity!
Hold the gates of heaven, control the axis of earth, guard your own body, and grasp the vital energy of heaven and earth and all things!

They can gather, they can scatter, they can become chaotic.

When the Qi is disordered, it is rectified.

That is, to complete!

One by one, the black lines on the "chaos" were broken, especially Long Chen's. The essence kept plummeting. After all of them were dealt with, 780,000 essences were used up, which was almost equivalent to the amount of water beasts that could be upgraded by one level!
[Water Essence: 3,083,200]

"Crackling."

Long Chen's bones cracked and popped, his power surged, as if he had unloaded an immense burden. A sense of ease permeated his bones and flesh, and the road ahead seemed clear and unobstructed.

Long Binglin, Long Yanrui, and so on.

Long Binglin was slightly different; he had followed him for several years, and now he had chosen to take command!

"Sure?"

"Please come, sir."

"it is good."

Bleeding from the fingertip etched the character "川" (river).

[Has already commanded dragonkin, can evolve]

[Can consume 186,321 essence points to replenish]

[Water Essence: 2,698,000]

Two more streams of energy surged forth.

Long Binglin pondered carefully but did not notice any change in his thoughts. He only felt a greater sense of reverence for Liang Qu and was able to communicate with him directly on a spiritual level. Apart from that, he was no different from before.

The dragon race is not over yet.

There are also Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe, the two brothers who were the first to follow. After completing their training, they diligently cultivated and the elder brother followed the younger brother. Both of them entered the Tiger Hunting Realm. They worked tirelessly and were busy promoting each other.

[Can consume 114,000...]

[Can consume 109,000...]

Enveloped in golden light, then shattered.

The brothers from Pingjiang and Pinghe clenched their fists, overjoyed.

Saving money is incredibly difficult, while spending it is like water flowing away without a trace.

A moment of effort.

[Water Essence: 2,475,000]

The rest...

From low to high:

Fist: [Can consume 434,000... to evolve]

Awei: [Can consume 450,000... to evolve]

Unable to move: [Can consume 461,000... to evolve]

Round Head: [Can consume 513,000... to evolve]

Little Mirage Dragon: [Can consume 925,000... to grow]

Fat Catfish: [Can consume 999,000... to increase growth]

The shrunken water beasts looked on with anticipation, but Fatty, the only fish, huddled in a corner. It had just advanced to the second realm and was sure it wouldn't get a turn. It could only hope that there wouldn't be any little mirage dragons in this wave, so that it would still be in a class of its own.

"Fatty!"

The fat catfish puffed out its chest and raised its head, its long whiskers folded at a ninety-degree angle.

"You invited the White Dragon King, who infiltrated the Flood Dragon King, and you have done a good job in seeking benefits for the water beasts."

In disbelief, the fat catfish's eyes slowly magnified.

The little mirage dragon's eyes widened, its mind racing with frustration. "No way, no way? Fatty's only at the second realm!"

Wrapped in a golden cocoon.

The little mirage dragon struggled, clutching its head.

Ruined!
"Don't move! You've taken root under General Yuan's command, the plantation is reaping huge profits, you've revived the Fire Tree and Silver Flower, and the Divine Wood Imprint has repeatedly performed miraculous feats..."

Wrapped in a golden cocoon.

"Fist, you and Fatty have done a great job cracking down on organized crime, rebuilding the throne, and exploring mineral veins..."

Wrapped in a golden cocoon.

"Roundhead, you've led your men through countless hardships..."

Wrapped in a golden cocoon.

"Awei, don't be in a hurry. I'll remember this merit and give it to you in the future."

In southern Xinjiang, Awei calmed down and became overjoyed.

"The Third Prince..."

"Boss!" Long's eyes gleamed.

Liang Qu said awkwardly, "There's no more essence left..."

【Water Essence: 68412】

"Ah! I'm dead!"

Liang Qu caught the limp little mirage dragon: "There's nothing I can do. You've only just been promoted once, and your needs are too great. Your contribution in this battle is not as good as Fatty's. But don't worry, I'll give you 300,000 merits this time."

"really?"

"A gentleman's word."

"Boss, you're the best!" The little mirage dragon wrapped around the forearm, its horns rubbing against it.

From demonic beasts to great demons, from the second realm to the third realm, the water beasts are all major hurdles.

The golden cocoon, having been brewing for a long time, continues to grow stronger.

With his eyes still open, Liang Qujin observed the energy of heaven and earth, and casually took out several "souls" that he had stored for a long time.

The Ghost Mother Cult includes King Chu, Yi Chen of the Yi family, and several other elders of the Ghost Mother Cult...

Strictly speaking, these people are not completely dead. Just as Jian Zhongyi said, they can take root and sprout again in a different "world." Today, after distributing the credits to their subordinates, they will head west to see their fiefdoms, seize control of the territory, and observe the birth of the Heavenly and Earthly Fruits. During this time, they will also need to consider how to use the life and death rituals of the Ghost Mother Sect to re-enter the Underworld, or even bring others in!

The Whale King plots to seize a realm, while the Great Ancestor of the Great Li Dynasty harbors great ambitions. Both furnaces are carefully considered, and both advance to the Rainbow Transformation stage.

We can't just watch others make a profit while we try to defend ourselves when things happen, can we?
In the Dream Dynasty, those at the sixth realm can achieve immortality, those at the fifth realm have a long lifespan, and those at the fourth realm can live for hundreds of years. Living people can be reborn, which he is extremely envious of.

Especially the nine major sects, with nine rank-achieving individuals!

The Whale King Cloud Whale, I don't know what he's up to, actually trying to harm the furnace. It must be something good, and he's also eyeing it.

If the King of Chu were to commit suicide and arrive in the underworld, would he be able to return to his former glory as a martial saint?
They seized the underworld and turned the tables on the enemy...

boom! boom! boom!
The cocoons of light shattered one after another, and their powerful aura surged.

Before Liang Qu could get a good look at the water beast's posture, he felt his thigh being grabbed.

The fat catfish, a tiny ball, clung to my leg, its long whiskers folded at a ninety-degree angle, and cried loudly.

(End of this chapter)