Becoming a God from a Water Monkey

Chapter 1224 Great Achievements, Renowned Fame (Two Chapters Combined)

[Acquisition Ceremony: Consumes 10 points of Domination to link with the Right Fruit.]

[Refining Ritual: Swallowing the River, Spitting the River]!
"If you take one step ahead, you'll always be ahead; if you take one step behind, you'll always be behind..."

As Liangqu swallowed and spat out the river water, his thoughts wandered, and his imagination ran wild.

Your skill is not your ability, and my clumsiness is not my choice.

He understood this principle very early on. Many people fail to make any progress in their lives, not because their instincts have run out, but because their disadvantages have accumulated to an irreparable degree. Similarly, failing to seize opportunities and grasp advantages is itself a form of falling behind.

Especially when they reach the Martial Saint realm, who among them wasn't a chosen one in their youth?
The more they enjoy being the center of attention, the less willing they are to give it up. Even if some are content with the status quo, they will never hesitate to take a chance if given the opportunity.

It was late June of that year, with four and a half years left until the Great Hunt in the East Sea.

Look inward at yourself.

Before the New Year, the old toad underwent a tribulation of lightning and transformed into a treasure. With the help of the power of heaven and earth, his dantian and root sea broke through to eighty-two times. Four months later, he barely managed to cultivate to eighty-three times. In addition, he still had the Phoenix Fairy Treasure Fish that he had not yet used, but he would never allow a single treasure fish to break through to the exaggerated point of over one hundred times.

Without a leap in his Root Sea, it would be difficult to advance to the Thirteenth Heavenly Rank unless he abandoned the Thousandfold Self-Cultivation Fruit of the Root Sea before the Third Rank and chose other self-cultivation methods instead.

However, the thousand-fold root sea is already the simplest and most effective route for Liangqu.

Today, the world is at peace.

Even though the Khan of the Northern Court and the chieftains of the Southern Frontier suffered repeated setbacks and were unwilling to give up, all the various forces knew that the Great Hunt of the East Sea was about to begin with generous rewards. They all silently cultivated and accumulated strength, and their desire to fight was mostly weak, so they could not be forcibly commanded.

Therefore, there is no opportunity to make a great contribution.

After taking stock of all the different aspects...

Four and a half years later, Liang Qu's main body will be able to accumulate three hundred times the amount of Root Sea. The first or second level will be the limit. If he can reach the middle level without transforming into a white ape in public, that will be quite good.

However, if he had a small-sized fruit, and it was a water-type small-sized fruit that he could refine successfully and use with ease, Liang Qu's combat power would definitely undergo a tremendous change!

The port construction is progressing steadily, attracting more and more people, and the favorability will increase year by year. Occasionally, major competitions will be held to collect scattered dominance. After four and a half years, the remaining 7.7 dominance will definitely be enough to make a breakthrough, thus luring out the long right fruit.

Swallowing the river, spitting out the river.

It's unclear exactly what level needs to be achieved, but it shouldn't be difficult.

Liangqu is a vast expanse of water, and its current capacity to hold water has reached an alarming level. Not to mention the major tributaries of the Huai River, it could easily handle even a small tributary, and refining it would be just as promising.

The final rankings are still unknown.

With good luck, it's not impossible to be in the top ten, with a guaranteed Heavenly Pill worth fifty times the Root Sea, and the top spot even comes with a Winning Fruit.

With the Winning Fruit, the Long Right Fruit, and the Demon Fruit in hand, and having collected half of the Lesser Fruits from the Disaster Realm and the Flood Realm respectively, it is possible that in the future, one can achieve a two-stage leap to the Furnace and the Rainbow, sweeping across the universe.

The only problem.

Not worth it?

Judging from the opening of the Swamp Kingdom, the consumed dominance points will disappear, and using them to obtain the Ranking Fruit will inevitably delay the advancement time of the Water Ape Great Sage.

Liang Qu pondered: "The top ten are uncertain; there are too many unexpected events. I can offer suggestions to avoid them, but I can't guarantee whether they will be adopted. The Whale King also has unknown conspiracies. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, whether the reward is real or not, and whether there will be any follow-up effects, is uncertain."

The benefits are also relative. Originally, there was no chance to get the reward, but now there is. The ten points of dominance have not disappeared, but have become long right, which is a fixed asset. The Whale King's conspiracy is not insurmountable.

Sigh, what a high-risk investment…

That's life; it will never give you a 100% correct answer, nor will it provide a reference copy.

Choosing the right path leads to rapid advancement, leaving others far behind and attracting worldwide attention.

Choosing the wrong option can leave you stagnant, and you'll be lucky to see others progress; you might even regress by ten years.

When one's understanding is limited, everyone exhausts all possibilities, and perhaps an answer will be found.

When you reach too high, you can only ask yourself questions.

Liang Qu rubbed the bridge of his nose.

It would be great to have 100 points of dominance right now.

It's like having unlimited gold coins and unlimited gems in a game, directly reaching 9999999.

Long right?

buy!
Wu Guo?

buy.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape?

Lift!
So you call yourself Whale King?

Dry!
My thoughts came to a standstill.

Whether you invest or not, first focus on increasing your dominance, building your territory and increasing your favorability, and accumulating capital!

Other lights flashed continuously, and Liang Qu continued to sort through the information, confirming several points.

"With the blessings of Heaven and Earth, one can reach a state of perfection and touch upon certain rules, thus resonating with the fruits of the same position."

The power of the calamity attribute should tend towards destruction; the power of the governance attribute tends towards stability and creation; and the power of the rule attribute is more like a monarch in a certain field, stronger than both.

A mid-level fruit does indeed have the potential to advance to a high-level fruit; the same low-level fruit, combined with different techniques, can create different worlds.

At the same time, there are also aspects that leave Liangqu uncertain.

Currently, the fruits of the Disaster category (魃果, 頃果, 飛果, 雍果, 长右全) are all of the lower rank, the fruits of the Governance category (青女, 巨灵, 吴果) are all of the middle rank, and the fruits of the Imperial category (淮君, 禹君) are all of the higher rank.

Could it be that disaster, governance, and defense are categorized as hierarchical classifications?

Are there any other genera?

A lower-level fruit requires four plus one to create a world, while a middle-level fruit requires three plus one. Is this a rule or a coincidence? Are there significant differences in the hierarchy of worlds? Which is superior?
Can the Great Fruit create a new world? How many fruits are needed? How should the primary and secondary fruits be distinguished?

"I wonder what genus *Self-fertile fruit* belongs to?" Liang Qu pondered.

The sequence of seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), the sun (moon), withered trees blossoming in spring, morning dew from the sky, ruyi (a scepter symbolizing good fortune), and xuanhuang (a type of celestial substance), totaling nine strands.

Different attributes of long qi, woven by the seasonal insects, achieve a strange harmony within Liangqu's body, encompassing seasons, sun and moon, water and wood, loess, and the will of heaven.

On the surface, none of the long-term energy sources have any "negative" or "destructive" attributes; they are mostly positive. So, at the very least, what will emerge is a "healing" effect?

In any case, this blessing was fulfilled perfectly, giving people a great surprise and a rewarding experience.

The importance of gaining information in advance has been repeatedly proven in various events. A simple information gap can create opportunities, wealth, and countless possibilities...

"Roar!!"

"We won! We won! Quick, quick, let's get to the quarterfinals! Let's get to the quarterfinals!"

"Come and see the campfire!"

Cheers resounded, shaking the water.

Liangqu looked up.

The bonfire roared and shone, casting a shimmering, jagged orange glow on the water's surface, which stretched into the distance.

"Wow."

In the reed marshes, the water swirls and ripples.

As night fell, no one noticed Liang Qu's appearance, and he brushed past countless pedestrians.

On the dark ancient tree, the cicadas chirped and sang, and the radiant shadows of the cloth rotated 360 degrees.

Ordinary people who couldn't afford tickets stood on the street to watch, while wealthy people bought tickets to watch from the rooftop, cheering for the victories of different teams and adding to the heat of the midsummer.

"It's starting over there, let's go see the campfire."

"No, it's too hot."

"Let's go listen to the Thousand-Aperture Mysterious Wood. I heard it can predict the future, and we haven't stamped it yet. I heard that if we collect all thirteen stamps, we can get a discount of twenty coins on Benboerba!"

"Why wasn't I chosen...?"

"Give me ten skewers of lamb, ten skewers of beef, a kidney, and a salted fish, grilled until crispy and charred. Do you have any rice wine?"

"Got it!"

Time flies.

June 21, the sixth county.

[Offering sacrifices to the Huai River increases the river's favorability by 4.0159]

River Dominance: 2.3 (River Favorability: 6.3985)

June 24th, the seventh county.

[Offering sacrifices to the Huai River increases the river's favorability by 3.5]

River Dominance: 2.3 (River Favorability: 9.8985)

……

July 12th, the thirteenth county.

The fire of Bing (丙) rises, its golden light shining brightly.

The blazing sun cast a white glow everywhere, the roof tiles were scorching hot, and even birds couldn't land on them.

[Offering sacrifices to the Huai River increases the river's favorability by 2.0744]

River Dominance: 2.3 (River Favorability: 24.9729)

[Blessed by the Jianghuai region, stamina consumption in water is slightly reduced, supernatural power consumption is slightly reduced, injuries sustained in water are slightly reduced, and recovery in water is moderately improved.]

The thirteen ports mostly received blessings above three points, quickly pulling the dried-up blessings back up to twenty-five. If given another year to cultivate a festive atmosphere in the fiefdoms and invest in construction, Liangqu is guaranteed to regain half of this year's blessings!
This is the end.

The mid-year celebration has come to a successful conclusion!

His great achievements have earned him a renowned reputation.

River Dominance: 2.4 (River Favorability: 24.9729)

"what?"

Liang Qu looked surprised and silently memorized those words.

His great achievements have earned him a renowned reputation.

His power deterred the disobedient and spread virtue throughout the Huai and Jiang regions.

Stretching across the great river, it shines as brightly as the sun.

Three ways to gain dominance at present.

"Stretching across the great river, shining brightly like the sun, it is the simplest and has the greatest impact; deterring the disobedient and spreading virtue along the Huai River, but using both virtue and power, is too time-consuming and energy-intensive; great achievements and illustrious reputation are in line with my current goal, to continuously develop the Huai River, including both banks..."

After a long celebration, the most crucial moment has arrived.

Liang Qu didn't stop and headed straight for the Jiangchuan Prefectural Government Office.

Accounting and taxation!
One million "Dream Tickets"—that's their own business. Using this business to subsidize construction is equivalent to using Liang Qu's own pocket money to subsidize the national treasury, so naturally it seems insufficient.

Especially compared to the taxes collected within the entire fiefdom, it was all just a drop in the ocean!

People flock in, spending a lot of money; it remains an industry across all sectors.

Even before the start of this 13th anniversary celebration, Liang Qu had made sufficient modifications to the Da Shun tax law.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

On the long abacus, Li Shoufu, along with ten registrars and officials from Pingyang Prefecture who came to provide support, kept flipping through the accounts and tallying the expenditures, a task that had been going on for three days.

The hedgehogs examined each one, listing the key points and reporting them to Liang Qu.

"The total revenue from film screenings was 2.46 million, including dividends and expenses..."

"The total summer tax revenue was 5.94 million, of which 70% went to the imperial court, leaving 1.782 million..."

"The fixed tax for merchants is 2.34 million, the remainder..."

The income of most street vendors is difficult to calculate, and labor costs are too high. Therefore, a fixed amount is set based on the scale of business, and regardless of whether the business is good or bad, the tax is paid according to this amount. Hence, it is called a fixed tax, and this method has been used in later generations.

The difference is that without sufficient oversight, corruption is ten times more severe.

Liang Qu listened to each number one by one, until his expression changed at a certain number.

"In the first half of the year, water transport tax amounted to 539,764,000 yuan, the remainder..."

Everyone looked up.

Merfolk, dragon people, and ordinary people were all stunned.

Of all the projects, this one stands out remarkably.

Water transport tax!
No one had ever heard of such an outrageous figure calculated in hundreds of millions. This was only half a year's income, and it wasn't a comprehensive rollout where everyone immediately switched to investing, but rather a gradual process that yielded huge profits.

"pity."

Liang Qu shook his head.

He can hear about it but can't have it; he can't get his hands on this huge sum of money that could have given him financial freedom.

The tax revenue from the Huai River waterway was supervised by the imperial court and did not belong to Liang Qu himself.

If Liang Qu were to use the [Emergency Escape Path] to obtain this money, even if it were split 30/70 with the imperial court, it would be unreasonable, because it would be equivalent to him sharing the commission on all goods on the Huai River with the imperial court, and the significance of this would be far more than just giving it to the thirteen ports.

The imperial court agreed, but other princes would not be happy about it.

Therefore, the imperial court did not share the water transport tax revenue, but instead paid Liang Qu a fixed amount of six million taels per year, the same as that paid to ordinary peddlers, which was three million taels every six months.

"How much did you earn in the first half of this year?"

The hedgehog respectfully replied, "As of June, after splitting the accounts with the imperial court, we have a surplus of 4.38 million."

Li Shoufu's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this.

A surplus of 4.38 million!

He knew all too well how ruthless Liang Qu was in investing in his territory. He paved roads and carried out various constructions without spending a penny. In the main urban area, he insisted on building major roads so wide that ten carriages could run side by side. He also planted shrubs in the middle and trees on both sides, something he had never heard of before.

Moreover, given the scale and construction goals of Liangqu, human resources costs will also be a major expense. For example, maintaining order in the local area will require at least five times more manpower than in normal areas due to the large influx of people. In addition to maintaining order, trials and detentions will also need to be arranged.

In addition, local tax collection and other matters require personnel and organizational structures. In order to avoid deductions and corruption as much as possible, Liangqu set up an additional supervisory organization, which was repeatedly nested.

During the celebration, the local talent pool was even more insufficient, so they spent all their money to hire outside help and ask the surrounding government offices to provide personnel to support them. After doing this for half a year, they split the profits with the imperial court 70/30 and still managed to have a surplus of more than four million!

Construction always comes to an end. Once the costs stabilize, how much of a surplus will there be?

Looking back, he used to be a lowly river official who exchanged cockscomb fruits every day and had to agonize over a few major merits. In the blink of an eye, he has managed to build the territory into what it is today. He is a man of both literary and martial talents. Li Shoufu always feels that the world is changing too fast, even though he is not that old yet.

"Four million..."

Liang Qu breathed a long sigh of relief.

It's alright, there are no major problems with the accounts, and no deficits have appeared.

He still has a lot of debts to pay off.

"Continue! Stick to the previous plan, keep investing money, investing money, and more money! Money is a bastard. Within three years, don't let more than one million in silver remain in the account for more than half a month! Only debt, no profit!"

"As ordered!"

The hedgehog, with one paw pressed against its forehead, clutched the ledger and hurried out, pondering where the four million taels of silver had gone.

Finally, they started road construction and the high-end inn that the Prince of Huai had mentioned.

Plan the roads and the core area, and let the businessmen do the rest!

After the forty-day celebrations were over, Liang Qu briefly arranged the events for the Binghuo day, returned to the Yang residence, and went straight to sleep.

"Finally, I can rest... Haha..."

Vision was plunged into darkness.

For forty days straight, he didn't sleep a wink.

"Sister Eying~ I also helped! Let's do it together..."

"Shh~"

With her back against the door, Long Eying raised her index finger and, hearing the noisy cicadas chirping outside the window, waved to the little mirage dragon: "Third Prince, your sister has another task for you."

The little mirage dragon's eyes lit up, and it eagerly swished its tail forward, its claws poking at its horn: "Please give your orders, organization!"

"Catch all the cicadas on the nearby trees and stop them from making noise. I'll fry some cicadas for you tonight."

"Bomb cicadas? Great!" The little mirage dragon licked its lips. "Yes, ma'am!"

White mist billowed out, and hundreds of jade-white insect-catching nets appeared, waving back and forth, catching the chirping cicadas one by one into the nets...

I slept for more than twenty hours, for two days and two nights.

She slowly opened her eyes again.

Quietly.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Long Eying, who was grading papers. She sat by the bed, seemingly watching over them the whole time.

Liang Qu slapped his forehead, feeling somewhat dazed. He couldn't hear any sounds of summer outside the window and wondered if he had overslept.

Where are the cicadas?

"Awake?" Long Eying put down her book. "Are you hungry?"

"Hungry? Not really, just a little thirsty."

"I'll go pour you some tea." Long Eying stood up from beside the bed.

"Drink the green one, not the red one."

Liang Qu lay back down, stretched to relieve all his fatigue, then sat up again. His mind raced, and he saw a message from Awei. He pressed his forehead.

With the territorial matters finally settled, the Southern Frontier Insect Valley Festival is about to begin.

"A life of constant toil..."

"What's wrong? Nothing serious has happened these past few days, I've been keeping an eye on things for you..."

Liangqu looked up.

Long Eying faced the table, picking up tea leaves and brewing them. Her slender curves were especially noticeable at her waist, but were partially obscured by her flowing black hair, appearing and disappearing in a daze.

good looking.

A burning, scalding sensation surged forth. Liang Qu's heart stirred. He held his breath, walked barefoot on the ground, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing them tightly together.

"Is this what you mean by 'laborious'?"

Long Eying half-pushed him around, but Liang Qu then pushed her onto the table, knocking over the tea canister.

"Yes, it's all important business, the same thing."

(End of this chapter)