Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 153 The Face-Changing Worm Changes Its Appearance, and Demons Arrive in droves for the Godhood Festival.

April 1st.

Perhaps because the Lord of the Prefecture, Yuan Datou, became a god today, the continuous rainy weather has finally cleared up.

After midnight, the Xia Ke Xing couple arrived. When the morning star appeared on the eastern horizon, Liu Qing and Hong Gu went to Da Wan Lake with the Xia Ke Xing couple.

At this moment, Hong Gu used the face-changing insect to transform herself into a snake demon with a swaying snake tail, flat facial features, rough and dark skin, and a waist as thick as a water bucket.

Anyone who saw it would know that the snake demon following Liu Qing was a female demon in the form of a short-tailed water python.

Liu Qing dared not look away, afraid that seeing Hong Gu's appearance today would give her nightmares. Hong Gu was so angry that she cursed Hong Gu inwardly, calling her a scumbag snake who only cared about looks.

There was nothing they could do; the face-changing insect was so magical that it completely transformed Hong Gu, even removing Liu Qing's favorite dimples.

The Face-Changing Insect is a rare insect, existing in pairs of male and female. Hong Gu kept the female insect but gave the male to Liu Qing.

Liu Qing squeezed out a drop of his semen to feed the male insect. After swallowing it, the male insect recognized Liu Qing as its master and would never betray her until its death.

Liu Qing didn't need the male insect for the time being, so he stuffed it into his ear and let him sleep. When needed, he could simply give the order and it would change its appearance.

Soon, after leaving Shetan, passing Xiaolugou, and crossing a forest, you will reach Dawan Lake.

Of the many river spirits and monsters in the Snake Pool, only Liu Qing, the head of the household, came along. Logically speaking,

The lord of all the river spirits and monsters in Da Wan Lake has become a god today, and they should come to offer their congratulations. It's just a pity that Master Liu has fallen into greed.

I didn't let them come, lest it delay our progress in making money.

Xia Kexing's cultivation had finally reached the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation; he was just a little short of catching up with his wife, Xia Qianqian.
It seems I should spend less time in bed these days and make more time for self-cultivation.

All four were able to leave the water for a short time. They emerged from Xiaolugou, crossed the forest in the middle, and arrived at Dawan Lake.

The tiger spirit lingering in this mountain forest was about to make a move when it was frightened by a wisp of energy released by Liu Qing. It buried its head under its belly, stuck out its rear end, and frantically wagged its tail.

With familiar movements and keen observation, Liu Qing glanced at the tiger spirit and considered whether to capture it.

The moment you step into the waters of Da Wan Lake, the stillness instantly transforms into a cacophony.

The creatures that roam the waters are all kinds of fish, shrimp, turtles, and crabs that have been transformed into demons, and a large portion of them come from various branch waterways.

Those half-floating in the water are the native spirits of Da Wan Lake, while those submerged are various mortal beings that have not yet awakened their spiritual power.

Today, Lord Yuan Datou moved his underwater mansion to the island in the middle of the lake. It's fine if the river demons in the water are there, but if any mountain demons come to congratulate him, they'll have to be moved to the island in the middle of the lake.

Although mountain demons and river demons are enemies with poor relations and frequent battles, when it comes to the level of Lord Yuan Datou,

It's only natural to make friends with some old monsters in the mountains and overcome the barriers between mountains and rivers.

On the island in the middle of the lake, the ancestral tombs of the Li family, which used to be located there, had mysteriously disappeared. Liu Qing inquired with the steward, Shad, who was in charge of greeting guests.
I only learned that in mid-March, the Li family had sent people to move the ancestral graves.

Lord Yuan Datou, unwilling to lose the Li family's substantial incense offerings, came out of the water to inquire, but was stopped by a Taoist priest.

This Taoist priest, named Yuan Shoucheng, was skilled in divination, geomancy, and geomancy. He found a dragon vein for the Li family in Jinyang.
Entrusted by Li Yuan, the head of the Li family, they came to relocate the ancestral graves to Jinyang.

Although the island in the center of Da Wan Lake is nice, it is far inferior to the dragon vein. The Li family insisted on moving the graves. Yuan Datou was heartbroken that a large sum of money for incense offerings would be lost every year, but he could not stop them and had to let them move the graves.

Fortunately, he would soon become a god, and the Li family's incense offerings would be reduced elsewhere, Yuan Datou comforted himself in this way, unaware of the great opportunity he had missed.

Liu Qing felt sorry for the manor lord Yuan Datou, but he couldn't say it out loud, only blaming it for not being born with such good fortune.

The Li family ancestral graves have been moved, leaving behind an island in the middle of the lake, covering hundreds of acres. Lush grasses and shady trees, nourished by the water and bathed in the essence of the sun and moon, make it a truly wonderful place.
Liu Qing looked at it and couldn't help but be tempted.

Unable to find a place to cultivate the five grains and spiritual seeds anywhere else, the land on this island in the lake is as fertile as the spiritual fields within the sacrificial realm.

But it is precisely the place where the five grains and spiritual seeds are planted.

Originally, it was just an idea from Eel Grandpa to have the powerful demons stationed at various branches of the Great Bay Lake celebrate for the Lord of the Manor.
Unexpectedly, this news spread far and wide with the ripples on the water, reaching every lake and river, every mountain and peak, causing a great stir and eventually evolving into a grand festival of ascension to godhood.
Lord Yuan Datou, being a man of great pride, simply waved his hand and dispatched his lesser demons with invitations to formally host a banquet for river and mountain demons from all over the land. As the first great demon to achieve godhood in the Jing River system in a hundred years, the lord's reputation was something the other great demons had to respect.
Therefore, even though the sun had just risen, the vast Da Wan Lake was already almost completely filled with river demons and mountain demons from all over.

River monsters with fish and shrimp heads and mountain monsters with beast tails came roaring in, riding the wind and waves.

Liu Qing was shocked after just a quick glance; the mountain and river demons that had gathered today must number in the thousands.

Despite having made preparations in advance, Steward Sha, the steward of the Water Palace, was still thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of countless monsters.

It had already arranged for all the bluefish guards and blackfish guards from the main vein of the Great Bay Lake to maintain order, and also found Lady Mandarin Duck and Lady Clam to transfer some river demon maids from the inner courtyard to entertain guests.

However, they still lacked manpower and had no choice but to ask for help from the river demons guarding various branches, the little crocodile dragon, the four short little men, the rattlesnake demon, and the turtle spirit Yuan Haowen, among others.

They also handed over the little demons who had brought them knowledge to Steward Sha, to be at his disposal.

With enough manpower, Steward Shad was finally relieved. Thanks to its formidable organizational skills, the thousands of river and mountain demons that had arrived were all properly taken care of, or led on tours of the scenic Great Bay Lake.
Or you might be taken to see the famous market town near Tai Wan Lake, which is surrounded by mountains and water. Oh, by the way, this market town is only open temporarily. It used to only open on moonless nights, but today, to fit the occasion, it's temporarily opened during the day and will continue all night.

Those of noble status were led by pretty clam maids to their residences on the island in the middle of the lake to rest for a while.
Of course, many mountain spirits that couldn't tolerate water, such as tigers, leopards, bears, wolves, foxes, deer, cattle, sheep, and sika deer, which came from the nearby mountains and forests, were also led to the temporary residence of the lord on the island in the middle of the lake.

Shrimp Traveler, who enjoys lively gatherings, led Shrimp Shallow to the underwater market. Knowing that Red Maiden dislikes crowds, Liu Qing told Steward Shad that he had left the water and was heading to the temporary residence on the island with Red Maiden.

This mansion was temporarily set up by Yuan Datou. He moved the main hall of the mansion, which was originally in the Water Eye Spirit Cave, up here to serve as the main venue for today's Godhood Festival.

Upon stepping onto the island in the middle of the lake, they were greeted by several mountain demons with the heads of black bears, tigers, and wolves. Their cultivation was insufficient, their transformations incomplete, making them not only ugly but also reeking of wild beasts.
Hong Gu frowned, clearly displeased. Liu Qing, too, rarely encountered mountain demons. They had the heads of wild beasts, their bodies haphazardly wrapped in animal skins, and when they spoke, saliva flew everywhere. They gesticulated wildly, and their stench was overwhelming.

These were manageable, but after passing through those tigers, wolves, and black bears, several fox demons came towards her. Their pungent, fox-like stench almost choked Hong Gu, making it hard for her to breathe.

Everyone says river monsters are dull-witted, but no one says they smell bad. These mountain monsters, however, are different; they're not only dull-witted, but also incredibly smelly.

Fortunately, no weasel-spirited monsters came today; otherwise, the stench alone would have knocked Liu Qing unconscious.

Liu Qing waved his hand, summoning a ball of lake water to cover himself and Hong Gu. Now, they finally didn't have to smell the stench anymore.

Liu Qing led the way, holding Hong Gu's hand with one hand and pushing aside several cow and sheep monsters blocking their path with the other, heading straight for the Lord's mansion.

The goat and buffalo demons were about to shout insults, but when they turned around and saw Liu Qing and Hong Gu's expressions, their faces changed drastically, and they quickly shut their mouths and moved aside.

They've almost completely transformed into human form, and their cultivation is at least at the level of a great demon who has refined their spirit and returned to emptiness. We can't afford to mess with them.
Although participating in the Ascension to Godhood Festival doesn't mean you'll be swallowed whole by the great demon lord before you, angering him will inevitably result in some physical suffering.

The goats and bison dodged, but ahead stood a short monster with a long tail, a humanoid form still bearing traces of yellow fur, a pointed snout, and monkey-like cheeks.
Is this thing really here?
Upon seeing this, Liu Qing was terrified and pulled Hong Gu away to keep her at a distance.

It wasn't that the other party was highly skilled; it was simply because this fellow was a weasel demon, and his arrogance was terrifying.

"Sir, please wait!"

Liu Qing's eyes sharpened, her heart pounded, but instead of stopping, she walked even faster.

The weasel demon watched Liu Qinghong run away with a disgruntled expression, rubbing its nose: "What a vigilant river demon. I was hoping to borrow some of its luck, but it seems they were prepared. Oh well, I'll have to find someone else."

As Yuan Haowen, the turtle spirit, approached, the weasel demon hurriedly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and greeted the great demon lord. He then showered Yuan Haowen with flattery, making Yuan Haowen beam with joy.

Then, the weasel arched its front paws and asked, "Sir, do I look like a human?"

Turtle Jingyuan asked with a sneer, "You're covered in yellow fur and have a tail, a pointed snout and monkey cheeks, and you're only three inches tall. If you look like a human, then I, the old turtle, would look like a god?"

Instantly, the weasel's eyes lost their sparkle, its demonic aura deflated as it hissed and sputtered out, and then its body trembled and reverted to its original form, which was only a foot long.

The turtle spirit asked with a surprised "Eh?", its eyes flickering, thinking it had awakened the talent of making words come true. It quickly trotted over to the edge of the island with its short legs.
"Rise with me—"

With a whoosh, a wave rose, but it didn't come from the lake; it came from the sky. Yuan Haowen looked up in bewilderment and was immediately drenched in the water.

He couldn't help but stick out his tongue and lick it, but it still smelled foul. After wiping the water off his face and seeing the contents, he was instantly furious.
The water buffalo demon, unable to hold its crotch in, somehow peed all over its face: "Damn it, what bad luck! Ptooey—"

(End of this chapter)