Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 158 Incense Offering Envoy Ze Jingqingji, the Ancestor of the Liu Family in Charge of One Lake
The Liu brothers' tastes have never changed. They scared us to death when we saw them before. You know, the matriarch of the Shui family is also the wife of the head of the household, the face of the Shui family. How could she possibly choose an ugly woman?

Suddenly, a cry of "Ouch!" rang out, and all the demons looked over. They saw Yuan Haowen, the turtle spirit in the crowd, who, for some unknown reason, tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.

Although the fall didn't hurt, it was still embarrassing to fall face-first in public. Yuan Haowen almost burst into tears when he thought about the series of unfortunate events that happened tonight.

Seeing the new prefect looking over, and fearing the new prefect's disapproval, he immediately had a bright idea. He knelt down and respectfully said, "Yuan Haowen, the old garrison commander of Turtle Pool, greets Prefect Lord!"

The other river demons were stunned. This old fellow's mind worked so fast. Not only did he defuse the awkward situation, but he also kowtowed to the Lord of the City before they could.

Immediately, the shrimp merchants, the little alligator dragon, the water beetle, the four short men, and others who were stationed there, along with the patrolmen, all kowtowed and paid their respects to the Lord of the Prefecture.

They no longer dared to address each other as "Brother Liu Qing," as Brother Liu Qing had already taken over as the head of the manor and could no longer act as casually as before.

Liu Qing gave the old turtle Yuan Haowen an approving look; this fellow really had good judgment.

Indeed, now that he has taken over as the head of the manor, it is not appropriate for him to address Xia Kexing and the others as brothers in public. He still needs to maintain the dignity of the head of the manor. As for private matters, they are still brothers.

Old Turtle Yuan Haowen was overjoyed. After a night of bad luck, was his luck finally about to change?

Liu Qing stepped into the Lingbao Liu Mansion and arrived at the original Dragon King Hall. This place had been newly decorated and was called the 'Water Mansion Main Hall'. Liu Qing and Hong Gu sat on a chair made of a single piece of colorful soft jade from the East Sea, facing the hall.

The river demons lined up on both sides, with Steward Shad, Shrimp Traveler, General Qinghua, Duckweed Demoness, Red-Eyed Toad, and the Eight Incense Bearers standing on the left.

On the right are Little Alligator Dragon, Shrimp Shallow, Old Turtle Yuan Haowen, Mandarin Fish Demoness, Four Short Little Men, Three Water Willows, Water Beetle Demon, and a host of other water vein guardians.

Eel stood to the side of the master and mistress of the manor, serving as a lowly eunuch in the human court.

Liu Qing had already prepared a plan to appease the demons, and slowly said, "I have just taken charge of Dawan Lake, so everything will follow the old calendar and there will be no changes for the time being."

"Each waterway garrison will remain in charge of its waterways. Upon returning, they will patrol the Jing River, regulate its flow, harmonize the wind and rain, and ensure the prosperity of all living beings. No mistakes are permitted."

The demons seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and upon hearing this, they all bowed and said, "As you command, Master!"

What they want is for everything to remain the same so as not to harm their interests. Unlike human officials who need to be transferred to different places or serve for a certain number of years, river demons have been stationed in their lair for decades or even centuries, and their populations have multiplied countless times, making them difficult to move.
The key point is that even if they control a waterway, their cultivation level is insufficient, so they pose no threat to Liu Qing.
Furthermore, Liu Qing tightly controls the most crucial source of incense money for the river demons, and the lifeline of incense money for Dawan Lake can be found in Snake Pool, the place where Liu Qing started his business.

After a brief reassurance, the steward was instructed to prepare a feast, which was then held in the main hall of the manor with the demons. The guards from each branch finally departed the following day.

The demons departed one after another, with the turtle spirit Yuan Haowen being the last to leave the main hall. Because it was short in its transformed state and somewhat hunched over due to carrying its turtle shell, and the threshold of the main hall was high...
Before it knew it, it tripped over the threshold, which landed right between its legs. A loud scream of "Ouch!" rang out.
Yuan Haowen was in so much pain that tears and snot streamed down his face. He covered his crotch with both hands, feeling both ashamed and angry.

I'm so unlucky, this never seems to end.

Liu Qing and Hong Gu exchanged a glance, barely suppressing their laughter. There was no other way; being a manor lord was a profession, and one had to be dedicated. They couldn't easily laugh at others unless they couldn't help it—*Pfft, hahaha*

With pity, Steward Shad helped Yuan Haowen, who had almost lost everything, out of the main hall. Still worried, he personally escorted him to Dawan Lake and even sent a shad demon of the same clan to escort Yuan Haowen back to Old Turtle Pool.

The eel eel was somewhat annoyed. He had thought the new lord would make him shout, "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise leave court," and he could finally experience the life of a high-ranking official.
But the lord of the manor didn't have one, and Eunuch Shan felt very useless.

"Master Eel, we've known each other for a long time, and with Shan Xiongxin's connection, we're practically family. I have a task for you, I wonder if you'd be willing to take it?"

The eel eel felt even more aggrieved, thinking that the new master of the mansion thought he was too old and didn't want him anymore.

The eel-like old man, his face ashen, bowed with a tearful voice, saying, "Please give your orders, sir—"

Liu Qing found it laughable. This old eel was really used to being a servant and had no spirit at all. If it continued like this, it would probably be ruined. For Shan Xiongxin's sake, he would give it a chance to change things.

"I have executed the garrison commander of Fulong Canal, leaving the position vacant. I intend to send you there, with Shan Xiongxin assisting you. Would you be willing?"

The eel was stunned.

Its lips trembled, and it knelt down with a thud, its eyes reddening and tears streaming down its face: "Master, your kindness is immeasurable, even if I, Shan Yu, were to be shattered to pieces, I could never repay it, sob sob—"

Having been a slave ever since, all I've ever wanted is to see my line of eels find a place to live. I thought I'd never see it in my lifetime, but who would have thought that the Master of the Manor would make it happen for me today.

The Floating Dragon Canal was originally an environment suitable for the eel race to live in, but it was previously occupied by puppets supported by the Floating Dragon Lake Lord.
The Lord of the Prefecture killed the Lord of Fulong Lake and his son. The water vein there is currently unguarded. Such a lucrative post, the Lord of the Prefecture actually assigned it to me.

The old eel was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He pointed to the sky and swore that he would guard the Floating Dragon Canal for his master, making it an outpost for his master's future attack on Floating Dragon Lake, before he finally withdrew.

Liu Qing was very satisfied. This eel eunuch, Shan Yu, was also clever and understood the purpose of his mission.

With the various branches of the Water Mansion temporarily stabilized, Liu Qing turned his attention to the Eight-Sided Incense Envoy.

This was the first time Liu Qing had ever met an Eight-Sided Incense Bearer. Although incense money had been offered before, it was only the lesser demons of the cave who accepted it; the master of the cave had not made an appearance.

Liu Qing had always been curious about the true nature of the most mysterious Eight-Sided Incense Bearers of Dawan Lake.
Today my wish has finally come true.

The eight incense burners are divided into four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north, and four auspicious directions: southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.
Personally dispatched by the lord of the mansion, they patrol all the waters of Da Wan Lake. Whenever someone performs a sacrifice and incense is lit, they appear immediately and use a secret method to convert the incense into incense silver.

The eight incense bearers were each a river demon. At this moment, they knelt side by side in front of Liu Qing and told him their origins.

These eight incense bearers, while not entirely wrong to call them river demons, are not quite accurate. They are all dressed in yellow robes and hats, less than a foot tall, with faces like human children, and lacking the features of fish, shrimp, turtles, or tortoises.
Born this way, originating from the great marsh by the lake, transformed from the essence of the marsh created by the moonlight, the essence of the marsh, Qingji.

Qing Jishan is incredibly fast, traveling a thousand miles a day and ten thousand miles a night. His speed doubles in wind and rain. This is his innate talent, and he was created by the moon's essence. He was also favored by Lady Wangshu, who bestowed upon him the method of turning incense into silver. He is indeed the best candidate for the God of Incense.

There are three sources of incense silver. First, during festivals such as Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, and Ghost Festival, incense offerings are made and spontaneously evolved through prayers and sacrifices by the people. Second, after a living being is deified, the deity's token will transform the incense offerings into both divine power and incense silver.
Thirdly, it was created by the strange demon Qing Ji, who was born from the shallows and marshes within the waters of various water palaces.

The eight Qingji, each a messenger of incense offerings, only recognize the Lord of the Prefecture. Whoever is the Lord of the Prefecture, they will obey him. Now that Liu Qing is the Lord of Dawan Lake Prefecture, the Qingji have sworn an oath to Lady Wangshu that they will obey the Lord's orders from now on.

Liu Qing didn't bother forcing them to form a contract and acknowledge a master; he simply let them go, instructing them to continue doing what they had done before.
After leaving the main hall of the manor, Qing Ji and his companions exchanged glances, then activated their talents, and yellow carriages appeared beneath them, which sped off in eight different directions.

For the next two days, there were no disturbances along the main body of Dawan Lake, and Steward Shi diligently managed the miscellaneous affairs of the water palace.

Seeing that things were temporarily settled, Liu Qing gave some instructions and returned to Snake Pool with Hong Gu to prepare for moving.

On the way, after discussing with Hong Gu, Liu Qing made proper arrangements for dealing with the monsters and spirits in the Snake Pool.

Upon returning to Snake Pool, Liu Qing summoned his river demons and monsters, informing them of his succession as the Lord of Great Bay Lake.
Crab Left Hand, Shan Xiongxin, Li Jing, Qiu Ran Ke, Hong Fu Nu, Luo Cheng, Dao Zi, Ji Ping An, Hu Zi Nian, and other demons all joyfully congratulated the head of the household.

They were all excited, their eyes shining brightly. As the Lord's closest subordinates, now that the Lord has been promoted, they must all have a great opportunity.

Liu Qing did not disappoint them.

"Crab Left Hand, you are the most senior and meritorious under my command. Now that I am in charge of Da Wan Lake, I will reward you with the position of guarding Snake Pool!"

Crab Left Hand, now at the late stage of the Refining Essence into Qi cultivation, could already manifest hands and feet. He immediately knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Master, you have honored this humble demon. I will never forget your kindness, and I will definitely guard Snake Pool and Xiaolugou well, and supply salt goods for you without the slightest negligence."

Liu Qing nodded in satisfaction, wiped his mouth, took out the water-reporting token representing the guards of the Snake Pool, as well as the Echoing Turtle Board and the Demon-Shocking Drumstick, erased the demon soul mark, and bestowed them upon Crab Left Hand.

Thinking that Crab Left Hand's cultivation was not deep and his methods were not many, Liu Qing took out two low-grade magic weapons, 'Half-Body Crab Armor' and 'Grinding Fish Poison Sting', for protection.

Crab knelt on the ground with his left hand, kowtowing repeatedly. He said, "Master has been blessed with too much fortune. Only by working diligently can I repay even a fraction of it."

The other river demons were all envious when they saw that Crab's left hand had been blessed by the master, and they all looked at Liu Qing expectantly.

"Shan Xiongxin, you will go to Fulong Canal and work with your godfather Shan Yu to manage the waterways of Fulong Canal as his deputy."

Dan Xiongxin stepped forward excitedly, expressing his gratitude profusely. Hong Gu, acting on his behalf, bestowed upon him a low-grade magical artifact, the Golden Nail Jujube Spear, from the East Sea Treasury.
This golden-nailed jujube spear was something Hong Gu casually packed up when she emptied the Dragon Palace's treasure vault; otherwise, a mere low-grade magic weapon wouldn't have caught her eye.
However, anything that could be placed in the East Sea Treasure Vault was no ordinary item. Although this Golden Nail Jujube Spear was only a low-grade magic weapon...

It was originally a top-grade magic weapon, but because it had not been stained with blood for a long time, its baleful aura was thin. If it were in Shan Xiongxin's hands and had gone through more battles, it would probably be able to regain its former ferocity.

Dan Xiongxin stroked the golden-studded jujube spear, his gaze as if he were looking at a beautiful woman, occasionally chuckling foolishly. This magical weapon must be extremely to his liking.

Earlier, when Liu Qing saw Shan Xiongxin practicing martial arts with Changsun Wuji, he was particularly fond of a set of spear techniques. On the way, he discussed with Hong Gu about giving him a spear.

"The catfish with the beard accompanied me to Dawan Lake and served as the head of the Dawan Lake Market. He was rewarded with a storage magic item called a pointed snail shell."

This pointed snail shell was obtained by slaying the great demon of the red threadworm.

Hu Zi Nian was filled with emotion. He was just a small vendor in the market back then. On a whim, he followed the lord of the prefecture out of Da Wan Lake. Now he has returned to Da Wan Lake and has been appointed as the head of the market. This can be considered a triumphant return home.

"Short-tailed water pythons, and from the second to the ninth ring, plus one to nine more—you eighteen snakes and pythons, follow me to Da Wan Lake to serve as the lord's personal guards!"

Eighteen snakes, including a short-tailed python, a silver-ringed python, a three-flowered python, and a rat snake, stepped forward in unison and responded loudly.

"From this day forward, I, your master, bestow upon you the surname 'Liu'. My lineage of snakes and pythons from Snake Pool shall be the Liu clan."

The short-tailed pythons choked out sobs. They had been living a life of quiet desperation in the mud and cracks between bricks and tiles, dying silently and rotting namelessly. But now, they had names and identities in the world, had support in life, and received offerings in death, instead of becoming lonely ghosts.

My Liu family's snake-python has been born today.

Subsequently, the three carp spirits, Li Jing, Qiu Ran Ke, and Hong Fu Nu, were temporarily not allowed to go to Da Wan Lake. This was because Snake Pool was an important supply center for salt, and the three of them were extraordinary, having awakened several talents in succession. They had also learned human martial arts from Changsun Wuji, so they were temporarily allowed to stay in Snake Pool to assist Crab Left Hand in patrolling the river, training demon soldiers, and managing martial arts.

Dao Qiu Dao Zi begged to go to Fulong Canal with Shan Xiongxin. Since the two demons were of similar nature and had a very good relationship, Liu Qing agreed.

Seeing the longing look in Luo Cheng's eyes, Liu Qing waved his hand and assigned Luo Cheng to Shan Xiongxin as well.

Shan Xiongxin, Luo Cheng, and Daozi are the top four martial artists in Snake Pool, and they are also very bloodthirsty. They are going to Fulong Canal and will experience a lot of fighting.

The one with the best martial arts skills is the carp spirit Qiu Ran Ke.

Like Shan Xiongxin's Golden Nail Zhaoyang Spear, Luo Cheng was bestowed the Five-Hook Divine Flying Bright Silver Spear by Hong Gu. However, due to his long period of inactivity in battle, his killing intent had weakened, causing his weapon to drop from a top-grade magic weapon to a low-grade one.

As for the knife-wielding weapon, Hong Gu didn't have a suitable one, so Liu Qing gave it the low-grade magic weapon, the snake fang short sword.
Unexpectedly, he was extremely fond of this guy. He immediately gripped the hilt of the knife and made a few sweeping motions in the air. His moves were ruthless and fast, and his movements were unpredictable. He was definitely a cunning and ruthless assassin.

Ji Yuji Ping'an also wanted to go to Fulong Canal, but Liu Qing would never agree. He sternly refused the fellow, insisting that Ji Yuji go to Dawan Lake with Master Liu.

Without you opening and closing the door, I can't live a comfortable life.

Ji Ping'an was listless and dispirited, secretly annoyed that he was born a carp and then gave himself the surname 'Ji'.
It seems I'm destined to experience both "good fortune upon opening the door" and "good fortune upon closing the door" in this lifetime.

After the crooked mulberry tree was awakened and transformed into a demon, it was no longer crooked. Now it stands tall and graceful, with a canopy like clouds, like a queen. In terms of closeness, it is the most important of Liu Qing's subordinates, so it naturally has to go to Dawan Lake with him and be placed on the island in the middle of the lake.

(End of this chapter)