Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 191 The River Demon's cultivation has increased, and he goes to the City God to summon Yin Soldiers.

Liu Qing swallowed hard. This White Snake was too alluring. Hong Gu was dignified and majestic with a voluptuous figure, while the White Snake specialized in seductive charm, making people want to meld her into their very bones.

Unfortunately, though beautiful, after consuming so much flesh and blood of the Wei River monster, it only increased its cultivation level and eagerly transformed into human form, without actually undergoing a metamorphosis of its original form.
The White Snake's true form remains that of a snake.

There's no need to make her reveal her true form; just look at her slender, water-snake-like waist, and you'll know her true nature.

When the Snail Maiden Xiaoya left the East Sea, she was at the Refining Spirit Returning to Emptiness stage. Now, five years later, she has made progress and reached the Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao stage.

After transforming, the snail shell on her back finally disappeared after many difficulties. Dressed in green, she stood next to Hong Gu. Although she was also very pretty, she was willing to play a supporting role.

The Water-Avoiding Golden-Eyed Beast, Shui'er, has recovered her cultivation and even slightly increased it, reaching the mid-stage of the Divine Power Realm. When she transforms into human form, she is no longer a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, but a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young woman, standing in the sunlight, smiling brightly.

Sang Qingjun was also a cultivator who had reached the state of "Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness," but he was slightly weaker than Bai She'er. Due to his physical form, it had always been difficult for him to transform into human form. Now that his cultivation had reached a certain level, he was finally able to transform into human form and was no longer limited by his physical form and unable to move.

Dressed in black, he was tall and slender with striking features and a hint of heroism in his brows. He was quite tall, only half a head shorter than Liu Qing, and had extremely long, straight legs like pencils.
Her overall demeanor is not as sunny as Shui'er, as dignified as Hong Gu, as charming as Xiao Ya, and lacks even a trace of Bai She'er's allure.
She stood ramrod straight, and apart from a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes when she looked at Liu Qing, she was cold and aloof to everyone else, a true queen of the demon realm.

Aside from a few close associates, the cultivation levels of other trusted confidants also increased. Ji Ping'an reached the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, and the eighteen snakes and pythons of the Liu family also reached the Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation stage.
The catfish with the beard is in the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, while its wife, Catfish Slave, is in the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. The shad steward, on the other hand, is at the stage of Spirit Refining and Returning to Emptiness.
These are all within Da Wan Lake. As for the other branches stationed there, the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, Shan Xiongxin, Luo Cheng, and Daozi have already gone to Jing River.
According to the messages relayed by their clones, their cultivation levels have all increased. Among them, Li Jing, Qiu Ran Ke, Shan Xiongxin, and Luo Cheng have surpassed others and reached the early stage of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness.
Knife, Red Dust Maiden (late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation), Eel (late stage of Void Refining and Dao Integration), Shrimp Shallow, Little Alligator Dragon, Four Short Little Men, Floating Duckweed Demoness, General Qinghua, and Red-Eyed Toad are all late stage of Spirit Refining and Void Returning.
Shrimp Traveler, Crab Left Hand, Pufferfish Guard, Three Water Willows, Water Beetle Demon, Mandarin Fish Demoness, etc., are all Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation cultivators.

Ah, this brother Xia Kexing, Liu Qing has given him the most gifts. Even when he was in seclusion, he didn't forget to instruct his clone to give him special treatment.

Five years have passed, but he still hasn't reached the same level of skill as his wife. It seems this brother is destined to be a kept man for life.

Overall, during the five years Liu Qing was in seclusion, the cultivation levels of the river demons under his command all increased. All those stationed, patrolling, and trusted confidants in each branch were at or above the Qi Refining or Spirit Transformation stage.

This growth rate far exceeded their previous century of arduous cultivation, thanks to the breathing and qi-absorbing techniques taught by Liu Qing, as well as the occasional rewards.
They had previously said that they would worship Liu Qing as their master, so that when Master Liu rose to prominence, they could also follow him and share in his good fortune.
Now, the wish has come true.

The Lord of the Prefecture has emerged from seclusion. All the guards, patrolmen, and river demons from various branches of the Great Bay Lake have returned upon hearing the news to congratulate the Lord of the Prefecture and to gather at the island in the center of the lake, lest the friendship fade after five years.

That evening, the lord of the manor hosted a feast, with plenty of wine and meat, and drank merrily with his river demons all night long.

The next day, the shrimp merchants left one after another to continue their unfinished business. First, after five years of management, the waters of Fulong Lake, which had been conquered, had been completely digested and absorbed. The river monsters in the lake had also forgotten their former master and worshipped Liu Qing as their head.

The combined attack on Shilang Lake by Xia Ke Xing and his allies is progressing well. They have almost completely captured it, leaving only a few waterways, which they cannot hold out for more than a few days.

The female demon of the mandarin fish in Shuiyutan led the troops to take charge of the beginning and end. As a female demon, she was more meticulous and patient than men. She was very suitable to stay at Shilang Lake to finish up and appease the people afterwards.

As for Shrimp Merchant, Little Alligator, and the Four Short Men, they received new instructions from the Lord of the Prefecture last night.

Today, I will lead the demon soldiers and naval troops of each lineage to the front lines, under the pretext of betraying our allies during the Qingming River Festival, to attack the four rivers: Liupan River, Malian River, Hei River, and Hong River.
After five years of fierce battles and honing their skills, the demon soldiers and sailors of various factions in the Great Bay Lake have become exceptionally elite, their cultivation progressing rapidly, and their combat strength far surpassing that of the Four Rivers Alliance's sailors.
The lords of the Four Rivers Alliance are all at the Refining Void and Harmonizing Dao realm. Although Xia Kexing and the others are not as advanced, it is easy for Liu Qing to secretly send his clones, the River Gods, to capture them.

Liu Qing's four avatars secretly visited during the banquet last night, giving the incense money they had accumulated over the past five years to Liu Qing, the original body.
Over the course of five years, while Liu Qing's various avatars cared for the shrimp merchants and their companions, he also fulfilled his vows, relieved their suffering, and responded to the prayers of believers. As a result, the incense offerings remained prosperous, and he accumulated a considerable amount of donations.

The total amount handed over this time was about one or two hundred thousand taels, which Liu Qing put into his pouch space and did not use for the time being.

Over the past five years, the cultivation levels of the four avatars have all improved. The first avatar, which appeared earliest, reached the late stage of the Divine Power Realm, while the second, third, and fourth avatars reached the mid-stage of the Divine Power Realm.

Because they have mastered the supernatural powers and magic of the Eastern Sea and the Goddess of Good Water, and can share the incense offerings and supernatural powers of this main body, their strength should not be underestimated.
He held his own against other river and mountain gods of the same realm.

According to the four avatars, during this period of seclusion, natural disasters have occurred almost every year, making life increasingly difficult for the people. These natural disasters are accompanied by man-made calamities, hence the current state of the human world, where bandits and robbers roam freely.
Fortunately, within the waters of Da Wan Lake, there is Liu Qing's alter ego watching over things, willing to help and support the people, so things are relatively peaceful and prosperous, a veritable paradise.

For the next two weeks, Liu Qing temporarily suspended all his cultivation and spent his days with Hong Gu, Bai She'er, and the others, traveling and enjoying themselves to make up for the five years he had missed.

On the night of the second day of the third month of the twelfth year of the Daye era,

General Fubo Yuan Datou came to the island in the middle of the lake.

It turned out that it had finally saved up enough incense money and was preparing to invite Liu Qing to go to the City God Temple in Chang'an to recruit ghost soldiers.

According to regulations, he was a seventh-rank general who could recruit a battalion of a thousand ghost soldiers.

This battalion of a thousand ghost soldiers required at least three taels of silver for incense offerings per month for even the lowest-ranking soldiers. The sergeants, company commanders, brigade commanders, and captains received even higher monthly salaries.
In total, to support these thousand Yin soldiers, Yuan Datou would need to pay around four thousand taels of silver per month as incense money, amounting to as much as fifty thousand taels per year.

Therefore, only now does Yuan Datou dare to recruit; otherwise, who would risk their life for you if you don't have money?

Another point is that the officers of this battalion, including the captains, brigade commanders, and colonels, were appointed by the Yuan Dynasty and were private soldiers. They were not recognized by the Heavenly Court and therefore did not have any real divine positions.

Although they don't hold any real divine authority, since they are officers of the Yin Army, Yuan Datou still needs to provide them with the necessary weapons and armor.
This is a significant perk for officers. Furthermore, even ordinary Yin soldiers need a low-grade magical artifact. To fully equip this entire battalion of Yin soldiers, it would probably be impossible even if they sold their entire fortune. Their monthly stipends are only a small part of the equation; the crucial element is the weapons and armor配套 (matching equipment/weapons) for these Yin soldiers and their officials.

For a demonic weapon to be used by Yin soldiers, it must be at least a low-grade demonic artifact. If Yin soldiers use low-grade demonic artifacts, then Yin officials should at least use mid-grade demonic artifacts.
If we accept this, let alone Yuan Datou, even Liu Qing might not be able to afford to support him.

Fortunately, Liu Qing possessed the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, eliminating the need to recruit Yin soldiers from the City God Temple. The puppets created by his own Yin Jade Spirit Banner could serve as Yin soldiers, and they were obedient, requiring no specific service. He also didn't worry about not receiving monthly stipends or future rebellions due to lack of weapons and armor.
In short, with the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, Liu Qing had plenty of incense money left over to nurture Yin soldiers; it's just a pity he'd been in seclusion for the past five years.
The remnant souls and demonic spirits within the Yin Jade Spirit Banner are not numerous enough. Once we get out of here, we'll seize the opportunity to make a fortune and equip each of our clones with enough Yin soldiers.

Liu Qing had previously promised Yuan Datou that he would accompany him, so there was no reason for him to refuse Yuan Datou's invitation.
Besides, Liu Qing has been in seclusion for five years and is practically rotting away; he also wants to go out and explore.

Hong Gu and Shui'er did not go with him. Liu Qing did not allow it. Now that his strength has surpassed Hong Gu's, there is no need to let Hong Gu take risks again.

Hong Gu initially disagreed, worried about her husband, but Bai She'er whispered something in her ear.
Then, Hong Gu, her face flushed, glared reproachfully at Bai She'er and Liu Qing before nodding in agreement.

Liu Qing was completely confused. What were Bai She'er and Hong Gu talking about? Why did Hong Gu have that expression? My lord, I'm accompanying Yuan Datou to the City God Temple, not the Water Moon Palace.

Yuan Datou originally used the pretext of inviting Liu Qing to actually send his younger brother and sister-in-law, Hong Gu, along. He had heard rumors that things were not peaceful inside the City God Temple in Chang'an, and he wanted Hong Gu to cover for him.
Unexpectedly, Hong Gu didn't go, but instead trusted Liu Qing to accompany her. Since Hong Gu was at ease, it seemed that Liu Qing's strength had increased dramatically in the past few years.

Yuan Datou's eyelids twitched; he seemed quite annoyed.

In just a few short years, I, the mighty General Fubo, have to rely on clinging to Brother Liu Qing's leg to stand upright.
Yuan Datou, Yuan Datou, why are you so unambitious?

After the initial frustration came jealousy and envy. How did Brother Liu Qing cultivate? His strength seemed to improve every time they met. Despite only being at the Refining Void and Dao Integration stage, if they were to fight, even a seventh-rank True God like himself, a mid-stage Divine Power Realm General Fubo, might not be able to defeat him.

Liu Qing and Yuan Datou traveled southwest from Dawan Lake. The City God Temple of Chang'an was located in the southwest of Chang'an.

After leaving the island in the middle of the lake, within the Great Bay area, the people living on the water, though their faces were slightly pale and their lives were not as good as in a bountiful year, were still considered to be living comfortably and able to make a living.

In this area, several of Liu Qing's clones act as river gods, coordinating the wind and rain and granting wishes to solve problems. Although natural disasters and man-made calamities are constant outside, this place can be considered a paradise.

It was already daytime, and the two couldn't fly into the air when there were many people around, so they had to retract their fire wings, descend with their divine power, transform into mortals, and head towards the City God Temple along the official road.

Continuing onward, once you leave the Da Wan Lake area and head southwest, the situation immediately changes.

The area outside and inside the Da Wan Lake area is like two different worlds.

Along the way, the fields were parched, sandstorms raged, and gullies appeared on the Loess Plateau like gaping wounds.
Spring had arrived, but there was no green to be seen on the ground; all that could be seen was a grayish-yellow expanse.
Only a few small trees, stripped of their bark, stood forlornly on the wasteland, their pale trunks and a few withered leaves resembling white banners at a funeral.

Few pedestrians were on the roads, and no farmers tended the fields. The persistent drought had long since left the land barren, and almost everyone who could walk had fled.
But natural disasters and man-made calamities spread throughout the Sui Dynasty. They fled Qin, but where could they go? Everywhere was just as barren.

Along the roadside, several skeletons lay dead in the wilderness. Starving wild dogs chewed the bones with great effort, licking the meager marrow inside.

After his cultivation level improved, Liu Qing's eyesight also increased. He strained his eyes to look around the land within a radius of dozens of miles before he could find a few fortified villages.

Smoke was rising from inside, suggesting that it was a defensive fortress built by wealthy landlords in the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, for survival in chaotic times.

As for the others, whether it was Liujia'ao or Wangjiagou, which were once densely populated villages, they have long been deserted, leaving only rows of cave dwellings, elderly people who can no longer walk, and hungry children crying.
Besides these, Liu Qing also discovered groups of bandits and robbers gathered together in various small mountain valleys or old cave dwellings.
Years of natural disasters have left fields barren, and even the poorest people are struggling to survive. How could they possibly support these bandits and robbers who live by plundering?
Listen to them: In the southeast of Qin, there is a madman named Sun Hua who has gathered tens of thousands of refugees, raised the banner of rebellion against the Sui Dynasty, and called on the people of Qin to rise up in revolt.
They conquered cities and seized territories, robbing wealthy households and landlords. They had no shortage of food and drink, and were all eating lavishly. Several groups of bandits and robbers discussed preparing to go and seek refuge with them.

It's so terrible here, even bandits and robbers can't survive.

From them, Liu Qing also heard that the Sui emperor had completely given up, abandoning the Qin region where he rose to power and the heartland of the Central Plains, and was traveling south to Jiangdu for the third time by dragon boat along the newly dug canal.

It seems that the Sui Dynasty is engulfed in war and on the verge of collapse. He is powerless to change the situation and can only live for the moment.

Li Shimin hasn't started a rebellion yet; it seems he's planning to let the two sides fight it out while he reaps the benefits. That makes perfect sense. My own wicked words from back then didn't sway him at all.
I underestimated him. How could a great ruler be so easily swayed by my wicked words? Looking back now, I realize I was too hasty.

The two of them continued on their way.

It took them half a day to finally arrive outside Chang'an City.

As they approached Chang'an, a powerful repulsive force seemed to emanate from the void, warning them not to get too close. Liu Qing understood that this was the primordial tide of humanity repelling those who were different.
Fortunately, Liu Qing possessed some humanitarian merit, though not much, which earned him the recognition of the mainstream of humanity, and he was no longer rejected.

But Yuan Datou was in a terrible situation.

(End of this chapter)