Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 174 Busy Harvesting of Five Grains and Spiritual Seeds, Liu Qing Transmits Magic to the River Demons

The grains in the fields on the island in the middle of the lake have ripened.

Because the soil was fertilized with Eight Treasures Mud and planted with spiritual grains, it was able to grow and mature against the seasons.

It was already late June, and it hadn't rained for a month and a half. The sun was scorching, and the weather was scorching hot.

The grains in the lord's house are ripe, and the scorching sun is like a blazing fire. How can the lord be allowed to go to the fields to harvest them in such weather?
As a close river demon under the command of the lord of the manor, he volunteered to come and harvest the grains for Master Liu.

These are all seasoned demons, each with a sharp mind. Shrimp Traveler and Shrimp Shallow have only recently arrived; the others stationed here include Eel Grandpa, Shan Xiongxin and his son, Floating Duckweed Demoness, General Qinghua, Little Alligator Dragon, Four Short Men, Mandarin Fish Demoness, Water Beetle Demon, and Pufferfish Demoness, among others.

They've all come all this way, without any attendants or servants, lest they steal the opportunity for the master to flatter the lord.

The crab on the left was the most honest; it didn't take the opportunity to flatter him. It stayed obediently in the snake pond, leading a group of shrimp and crab spirits, as well as the big monkey, mining and boiling salt.

The original monkey king of the troop, the mining foreman appointed by Liu Qing, had eaten demon flesh once and had now awakened his spirit, becoming a spirit. Besides him, several other golden monkeys, macaques, and gibbons in the troop had also awakened their spirits.

In terms of the probability of monkeys becoming spirits and monsters, monkeys far outnumber fish and shrimp in the water. There's no way around it; apes are naturally intelligent, which even humans envy and often use to praise them, saying, "They're so clever!"

The group of river demons were divided into male and female groups. The male demons, such as Xia Kexing and Xiao Tuolong, were in front to harvest the fallen spirit grains, while Xia Qianqian, Fu Ping, Qinghua General, and Hu Zi Nian's wife, Nian Nu Jiao, were responsible for picking up the fallen spirit grains from behind.

Then, the shrimp demon flashed its aura and revealed its true form as a river shrimp. It crawled across the field, extending its two pincers, and with a few swift movements, snapped several meters of wheat stalks in half along the ground. Then, several more feet followed, piling the severed Kunlun wheat into a heap.
The eel steward and the shad steward exchanged a glance, a feeling of envy creeping into their eyes. No wonder the Shrimp Merchant Company enjoyed the favor of two successive lords of the manor.

They don't just rely on seniority. Take their work, for example. Everyone else is helping to harvest the spirit grain, but they harvest large swaths at a time, quickly and efficiently.

One person is worth several. Didn't you see the lord of the manor sitting under the mulberry tree over there? Even he couldn't help but nod in approval.
Sigh, even flattery requires real skill. The shrimp vendor is the best among all the demons; I truly envy its pair of large pincers!
Looking across all the river demons in this spiritual field, none can rival Shrimp Traveler. With Crab Left Hand absent, Shrimp Traveler reigns supreme.

As the hostess, Hong Gu, along with Tianluo Xiaoya, Bai She'er, and Shui'er, were responsible for delivering water to the river monsters who came to help.

Xia Kexing gulped down a mouthful of river clam water and wiped the water from his mouth: "Grandma, if only we had some ice water, it's too hot today."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu asked for ice water.
"That's easy," he immediately said, drawing water from the Great Bay Lake. His supernatural power to turn the lake into ice was activated, and instantly, icicles appeared one after another.
The ability to turn water into ice has reached its peak; even in the sweltering summer, condensing water into ice is no difficult task.

The river monsters, including Xia Kexing, were overjoyed. They each grabbed a piece of ice and began to crunch and chew on it.

With so many river demons helping, the five hundred acres of spirit grain were harvested in just half a day. Master Liu waved his hand dismissively.
Let's keep the river monsters here and let the little snail girl prepare the food and wine. Today's feast will feature these five grains as the main dish.

In terms of dishes, besides roast duck, roast goose, and water buffalo meat skewers, there are also some seasonal fruits and vegetables from the mountains and fields, as well as water chestnuts and lotus roots from Da Wan Lake.
The wine was monkey wine bought from the sacrificial realm, and then chilled using ice-melting magic. One sip was absolutely refreshing and invigorating.

Tianluo Xiaoya's culinary skills are truly worthy of being passed down from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. She follows tradition but is not bound by it. She innovatively grinds dried earthworms into powder, pours boiling hot butter over them, and makes a dipping sauce.

The aroma was intoxicating, the smell pungent, and the fishy smell all at once, making the river demons with strong palates, including Eel Grandpa and Shan Xiongxin, drool with envy. They praised Little Girl's skillful hands.
The little girl was overjoyed. She glanced at the white snake and felt smug; today she had finally outmaneuvered it.
Overjoyed, the little girl showcased her culinary skills, gathering pungent and fishy-smelling ingredients such as houttuynia cordata, dogwood, and licorice root, and made dipping sauces for the river monsters to enjoy.
Immediately, he received another wave of praise.

In the Qin region, it's customary to have noodles at banquets, and even a river demon like myself couldn't escape this tradition. Little Ya was in a good mood today, so the minced meat noodles were just a small matter, and the Qu Yuan steamed buns were nothing special either. She was even inspired by the idea of ​​dipping earthworm powder in a sauce.

Noodles made from ground Kunlun wheat are sprinkled with minced garlic, spicy herbs, houttuynia cordata, and dogwood fruit, and finally, of course, earthworm powder—the soul of the dish—before being poured over boiling hot butter. The result is an absolutely divine flavor.

Just look at how Shrimp Shallow and Floating Duckweed Fairy, who have been talking about losing weight recently, ate three large clam shells of oil-splashed noodles, and you'll know how amazing this tastes.

The guests enjoyed the banquet to the fullest, burping and groaning as they ate and drank.

Liu Qing looked up at the sky. Although the sun was shining brightly, under the influence of his Yin-Yang Divine Power, he could still see a layer of dark red killing intent shrouding the seemingly clear sky.
The murderous aura originating from the human world grew even stronger. Liu Qing glanced at Xia Kexing and the others, then said, "You will come with me to a place where I will give you some good fortune."

Although the shrimp travelers were puzzled by what kind of good fortune it was, good fortune is good fortune after all, and they were all overjoyed.

The group of river demons followed Liu Qing into the manor, then went to the Yangxin Garden. Inside the Yangxin Garden was an octagonal pavilion.
This pavilion was built using the waste stones from the gambling dens on Beizhong Mountain. It is covered with the aura of divine calamity, which, together with the murderous aura of the people outside, forms two layers of shielding, absolutely able to completely block the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Court.

In truth, the Heavenly Court is currently blind and deaf. Just look at how the previously law-abiding incense-offering gods have now become unbridled, and you can tell.
However, to be on the safe side, Liu Qing still led a group of river demons to the octagonal pavilion shrouded in the aura of the divine calamity, adding an extra layer of security.

After all, unlike when Hong Gu imparted the Eastern Sea Scriptures and Secrets to Liu Qing, it was just the two of them. This time, Liu Qing was going to impart them to twenty or thirty river demons at once.

"Xia Kexing, you previously showed me kindness and support. You are a generous and righteous demon, and you have done your job diligently. Today, I will teach you the 'Water Spirit Breathing Technique'."
It allows you to gather the vital energy of rivers and lakes, refining and absorbing it to enhance your cultivation. Various water-based spells also exist within it. I hope that after receiving this instruction, you will diligently cultivate and quickly achieve the state of refining emptiness and uniting with the Dao.

Xia Kexing was stunned, staring blankly at Liu Qing, his face full of disbelief.

The other river demons shared the same expression. The Water Spirit Breathing Technique—wasn't this kind of cultivation usually reserved for the direct descendants of powerful families within the Three Realms?
Such a profound and mysterious technique, which could serve as the foundation of a powerful force, is actually going to be passed on to me by the Lord of the Manor?
Lady Wangshu above, the Lord of the Manor has been too kind to my Shrimp Traveling Company. Back then, it was just a small favor I did, yet the Lord of the Manor has remembered it all this time, and now he is even teaching me such profound techniques.
The shrimp man was overwhelmed with emotion and deeply moved. He moved his lips, unsure how to express his gratitude. Seeing this, the shrimp woman beside him quickly nudged him to prevent her husband from missing the opportunity.

Recently, evil demons have been emerging from the outside world, and gods have been frequently manifesting their divine power. The world has changed, and the river demons have also noticed the signs. The Heavenly Court's original decree prohibiting all demon cultivators from cultivating through acquired means has long been rendered ineffective.

Therefore, when they heard that the Lord of the Manor was going to teach them the techniques, they were moved and shocked, but not worried.

Shrimp Merchant was pushed back by his wife and stumbled, only then snapping out of his shock. He knelt down on one knee with a thud, his eyes red, and cried out, "Master, I, Shrimp Merchant, will never forget your great kindness, even if I am shattered to pieces!"

Liu Qing nodded slightly, pointed to Xia Kexing's brow, and immediately another cultivation technique, the Water Spirit Food Qi Technique, which had been collected from the East Sea, was transmitted to him.

The essential principles of the Water Spirit Food Qi Method floated in the divine treasure place of Xia Kexing, radiating mysterious light. Xia Kexing dared not slack off and quickly calmed his mind and concentrated to memorize the contents one by one.

After memorizing the technique, Xia Kexing kowtowed three times, expressing his gratitude profusely before retreating. After Xia Kexing...
Liu Qing then summoned Eel Grandpa, Shad Steward, Shan Xiongxin, Little Alligator Dragon, the Four Short Men, General Qinghua and his wife, the Duckweed Demoness, and other river demons to guard and patrol the area, and taught them his martial arts techniques one by one.

The East Sea techniques taught by Hong Gu, apart from the Dragon-Snake Qi-Eating Method practiced by Liu Qing, such as the Water Spirit Qi-Eating Method and the Azure Water Tide Breathing Method, are all somewhat inferior.

Although it is slightly inferior to the Dragon-Snake Qi-Eating Technique, it was still enough to serve as the foundation for a powerful force outside.

While teaching the shrimp-walking martial arts, Liu Qing didn't forget the honest and diligent Crab Left Hand, having its incense clone teach it on his behalf.
What was taught to Crab's left hand was the Water Element Profound Technique, a technique that not only allows one to absorb and exhale vital energy, but also has the effect of refining the physical body.
It is the second best of the East Sea techniques passed down by Hong Gu, second only to the Dragon and Snake Devouring Qi Technique. Liu Qing will not treat a hardworking and honest person poorly.

The river demons were taught the techniques, but Liu Qing didn't let them leave immediately. They stayed at the Lord's Mansion to study, and he could offer guidance whenever they encountered anything they didn't understand.
With Hong Gu and Liu Qing around, they were more than capable of guiding these river demons in their cultivation.

Under the guidance of Hong Gu and Liu Qing, Xia Ke Xing and Shan Gong Gong quickly mastered the basics. After mastering them, they immediately began practicing the circulation of Qi according to the key points of the cultivation method.

This process of transformation, the instinctive absorption and exhalation accumulated day and night over many years, completely unleashed the profound inner strength within the body.

Among them, Eel Grandpa had just completed one cycle of cultivation, and his profound foundation was activated by the technique, directly raising his realm by one level, from the early stage of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness to the late stage.
Little Dragon, Four Short Men, Shrimp Guest Shrimp Shallow, General Qinghua and his wife, Three Willow Trees and other river demons all advanced one level in their cultivation.

The demons were overjoyed once again and kowtowed repeatedly to the Lord of the Palace in gratitude.

Seeing that all the river demons had mastered the basics of the technique, Liu Qing felt relieved. With a wave of his hand, he sent them back to their respective waterways, instructing them to diligently cultivate in the future, so that they could quickly develop Yin spirits and eventually transform Yin spirits into Yang spirits.

(End of this chapter)