Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 233 Shen Gongbao pays homage to the God Lord; the Investiture of the Gods is no longer bound by constraints.

Li Shimin led his army westward, with capable generals Li Xuanba and Luo Shixin under his command, as well as Li Jing Qiu Ran Ke, who was skilled in military formations. Initially, the campaign progressed very smoothly, and the conquest of cities and territories was unstoppable.

However, upon arriving at Dasanguan, their advance was halted.

Dasanguan Pass was a formidable pass west of Chang'an, garrisoned by 30,000 elite Sui soldiers led by Sui general Wei Wentong.

Wei Wentong was a master of martial arts and well-versed in military formations. His troops were also elite warriors. In a battle between ordinary people, how could Li Shimin's newly trained army possibly be a match for him?

Helpless, Li Shimin had no choice but to seek help from Liu Qing's clone, as well as powerful demons such as Mule Shixin, Donkey Shiheng, Sa Zilu, Li Jing, and Qiu Ran Ke.

Unexpectedly, Wei Wentong was already prepared.

As soon as the great demon appeared on Li Shimin's side, dozens of mountain gods and local deities instantly rose up on the other side, along with many demon kings who had surrendered to the Sui Dynasty.

Donkey Shiheng, the demon king with the highest cultivation level in the Five Qi Realm on Li Shimin's side, was almost ganged up on by a group of demon kings, and this was without the help of other pro-Sui mountain gods and local deities.

Unable to win battles between mortals, and even at a disadvantage in fights between demons and gods, Li Shimin had no choice but to habitually seek help from Liu Qing.

Liu Qing did not refuse and immediately spread his fiery wings and went.

At the same time, he ordered his river demons to travel along the waterways to Dasanguan, while on land, he sent his clones with their soul beast soldiers to assist him.

Now, Liu Qing flew to Li Shimin's army, and after landing and talking with Li Shimin, he gained a clear understanding of the battlefield situation.

Among the opposing Wei Wentong army, there were more than ten demon kings at the Five Qi Realm, five demon saints at the Three Flower Realm, as well as twenty-three mountain gods and earth gods who were close to the Sui Dynasty. The weakest among them was at the Divine Power Realm.

In addition to these, according to Li Shimin, in the recent small-scale battles, several soldiers in Wei Wentong's army who had originally died had come back to life.

These resurrected Sui soldiers chanted Amitabha Buddha's name, yet they showed no mercy when it came to killing.

Liu Qing frowned. So Western Buddhism had gotten involved too?

He immediately thought of his teacher, Daoist Yu Yu, and Guanyin of the South Sea, who had been slashed by a sword, and began to have some guesses.

That night, his clones arrived with ghostly soldiers.

However, the elite river demons led by Xia Kexing were late in arriving. Liu Qing inquired through the Water Reporting Token and learned that they had been stopped by river demons in the Wei River when they passed through it.

This Dasan Pass is located on the upper reaches of the Wei River. The river demons under Liu Qing's command would inevitably have to pass through the Wei River to come by waterway.

A fierce glint flashed in Liu Qing's eyes. Since the forces in the Wei River were blocking the way, he would take this opportunity to wipe out the Wei River as well.

It's time for me to take over the Wei River.

Liu Qing himself went there, slaughtered several Wei River demons at the Divine Power Realm who were blocking the way, and brought Xia Kexing and the others back.

As for the several dragons in the Wei River, Liu Qing did not immediately rush into the water. Fighting the dragons in the Wei River, his home turf, would be a difficult task, even if he could win.

It would be much easier to lure it ashore and then kill it.

Several thousand river demons and water soldiers, including Xia Kexing, arrived at Li Shimin's army and set up camp in the lake south of Dasanguan. This lake leads directly to the moat of Dasanguan. By stationing themselves here, they could cut off the water of the moat and prevent the Sui army from escaping by water after their defeat.

Liu Qing summoned Yuan Haowen, the river god of the Fulong Canal, as well as a black leopard formed from a wisp of Shen Gongbao's soul.

Liu Qing explained his plan, and Yuan Haowen and Shen Gongbao immediately expressed their agreement.

“Master, you should have done this long ago. The leader of the Weihe River faction I belong to is the eldest son of the Weihe River Dragon King. His true form is a black dragon, and he is said to have the cultivation of the Three Flowers Realm. He also wields a spiritual treasure called the Water-Dividing Fork.”

It is very unhappy about your occupation of the Jing River, and curses you incessantly, saying that if it weren't for being tied up in the struggle for the position of Dragon King of the Wei River, it would have already come and skinned you alive.

Shen Gongbao rolled his eyes at his disciple. Even if this were true, he couldn't just repeat the story. Didn't he see that his master's face had turned pale?

On one hand, I'm angry at the black dragon, and on the other hand, I blame you for speaking recklessly.

"Lord, the force I belong to in the Wei River is the favorite concubine of the Wei River Dragon King. This demon's true form is a water centipede. Because she has been mating with the Wei River Dragon King for a long time, her true form has now become a centipede-dragon. She is a hybrid dragon species and also has the cultivation of the Three Flowers Realm. Her combat power is extremely strong."

"As for the other underwater forces in the Wei River, they are no match for us. We only need to lure the black dragon and the centipede ashore and kill them, then we can wipe out the others in a flash."

Liu Qing nodded slightly.

Suddenly changing the subject, he said to Shen Gongbao, "I know your background and why you joined me. Now that I have gathered power, would you be willing to acknowledge me as your master?"

Shen Gongbao tensed up for a moment, then relaxed and bowed to Liu Qing: "If I were to acknowledge the Lord of the Manor as my master, what would you have to offer me?"

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Shen Gongbao glanced at Yuan Haowen, who had recently been deified and vaguely guessed the reason for Liu Qing's deification, so he decided to take a gamble:
"I want to escape from the Sea Eye and break free from the Investiture of the Gods to regain my freedom. If you can do this, Lord, I will surely acknowledge you as my master and never betray you for life."

Liu Qing smiled and said, "Your request is a bit high. Let's not even talk about whether I can do it or not. Tell me what you can do for me first?"

"Simply calling me 'Master' isn't enough. As for lifelong loyalty, I have many loyal subordinates under my command; I don't need another one like you."

"I can do some dirty work for you, Master. If you don't like anyone, just send me over. I will make sure they are plagued by bad luck and become mentally confused, so that you can do whatever you want with them."

"If my original divine soul escapes from the Investiture of the Gods, I will use all my means to make even Buddhist Bodhisattvas and Buddhas unable to escape the calamity."

Liu Qing's eyes flashed; she was truly moved by Shen Gongbao's words.

A thousand years ago, during the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao was able to influence powerful beings of the Great Luo Realm such as Zhao Gongming and the Three Immortal Maidens. Although he now only has his divine soul left and his abilities are somewhat diminished, as he said, some Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas will definitely not be able to escape the entanglement of bad luck.

The Journey to the West hasn't even begun yet, and Buddhism has already started to intervene. This is probably because of the emergence of the Taoist priest Yu Yu. The situation will definitely become more serious in the future. I really need an assistant like Shen Gongbao.

"Okay, I promise you. However, I'm not absolutely certain. Are you willing to give it a try?"

Shen Gongbao was immediately excited: "I am willing to try. After waiting for a thousand years, I can finally avoid being filled into the sea eye. Haha, I am willing. At worst, I will lose this wisp of my soul. Please, Lord of the Palace, do as you wish."

Liu Qing immediately swallowed the newly acquired incense silver, absorbed its divine essence, and chanted Shen Gongbao's name, attempting to evolve it into a divine object.

Enveloped in a cloud of incense smoke, a deity slowly emerged.

[Seventh-Rank Incense God, General Who Divides the Jing River]

A glint of joy flashed in Liu Qing's eyes. This cheat code understood his thoughts perfectly, and each time it manifested a divine position, whether it was offerings of incense or authority, it was exactly what he needed right now.

The position of the seventh-rank Jinghe River Dividing General has now evolved, which is a perfect match for Shen Gongbao.

Liu Qing had gained some confidence.

He immediately summoned his divine token: "Shen Gongbao, if not now, when?"

With a resolute look in his eyes, Shen Gongbao's body transformed into a beam of soul light and lunged at the divine token floating above his head.

The divine token emitted a blinding burst of incense-like divine power, then suddenly dimmed. Liu Qing frowned, and the token, which had dimmed, lit up again. Then, the token flickered on and off, as if it were vying with something.

After a full incense stick's time had passed, a faint sound of tearing cloth was heard, and finally the divine token shone brightly.

In the radiant light, Shen Gongbao, clad in the divine armor of a seventh-rank Water-Dividing General, appeared before Liu Qing.

"Shen Gongbao pays respects to the ancestral spirits!"

Shen Gongbao knelt down respectfully, kowtowed and shouted, his expression submissive and his heartfelt submission as it had been to General Tuo in the past.

Liu Qing was secretly pleased with himself. He bestowed the title of "Follower God" upon Shen Gongbao, while he himself was the God Master. He no longer had to worry about Shen Gongbao having any disloyal intentions.

With the bond between God and God, Shen Gongbao would not betray him without needing to swear an oath.

At this moment, Shen Gongbao was no longer in his black panther form, and his aura was smooth and integrated, clearly indicating that he had become a complete original divine soul, rather than a wisp of his previous soul.

The cheat not only snatched Shen Gongbao from the Investiture of the Gods, but also used this wisp of his soul as a guide to pull over the original divine soul that was suppressed in the sea eye.

In addition, his cultivation level had reached the Three Flowers Realm, which was equivalent to his cultivation level during the Investiture of the Gods. However, since he did not have a physical body, his combat power was far inferior to what it used to be.

However, what Liu Qing valued was his words, "Fellow Daoist, please wait," rather than his combat strength.

“Master, I am no longer a fragment of a soul, but a complete original divine soul. That is to say, with your help, I have escaped from the eye of the sea, and the Investiture of the Gods can no longer control me.”

"Haha, haha, sir, I, Shen Gongbao, am free."

Overwhelmed with excitement, Shen Gongbao knelt down and kowtowed several times to Liu Qing: "Everyone else sees me as a plague god, but you, sir, did not despise me and rescued me from the eye of the sea. For the rest of my life, I, Shen Gongbao, will only recognize you, sir."

Liu Qing was thrilled to have succeeded. This attempt was not only to subdue Shen Gongbao, but also, more importantly, to test his abilities.

To verify that the deity they appointed was independent of the Heavenly Court and not subject to the restrictions of the Investiture of the Gods.

More importantly, they can snatch people from the Investiture of the Gods list.

If this ability is used well, one will definitely be the most popular person among the gods.

Of course, Liu Qing wouldn't tell them that after snatching the Investiture of the Gods, they would accept his deification and be subject to his control.

From being a servant in the Investiture of the Gods to becoming his own servant, the essence remains the same—they are still servants. However, Liu Qing himself feels that he is better than the stingy boss of the Investiture of the Gods.

Look at all the river demons under Liu Qing's command. Which one works diligently and doesn't get rewarded by Master Liu? Even if they have to be oxen or horses, they still have to be oxen or horses for a good boss like Master Liu.

"Alright, Shen Gongbao, Yuan Haowen, don't spread what happened today."

"Rest assured, Lord God, we will never tell anyone."

Liu Qing believed these words. After worshipping him as the god, he was unknowingly bound and influenced by the power of the divine position, and his loyalty was as bright as the sun and moon.

"Now you return to the bottom of the Wei River and, according to plan, lure the Wei River Black Dragon and Centipede ashore to join the Sui army. I will then send them away together."

Meanwhile, Yuan Haowen returned to the underwater world of the Wei River. As the Wei River Black Dragon's closest confidant and favorite, he went straight into the Black Dragon's mansion without anyone daring to stop him.

After finding the black dragon, Yuan Haowen walked within ten zhang and said excitedly, "Master, I have thought of a plan that can help you seize the throne of the Dragon King!"

The black dragon, affected by the Calamity-Aiding Sutra, was not in a state of mental chaos, but it lost its usual shrewdness.

They don't consider things as thoroughly, their words and actions are not as cautious as before, and under the influence of accumulated bad luck, they occasionally do some illogical things.

For example, he dismissed the turtle prime minister who had always assisted him and promoted the newly joined turtle spirit Yuan Haowen to be his military advisor.

"Military Advisor Yuan, what is your plan? Tell me quickly."

"As you know, our Wei River is one of the eight great rivers in the world, and its position as the Dragon King is also a matter of destiny bestowed by heaven and earth, and cannot be easily stolen."

"In the past, the master competed with other forces in the water for the throne, but he always failed at the crucial moment for other reasons. Now that I think about it, perhaps it was because he was not lucky enough to become king."

This is not a lie; it is the truth.

"Strategist, what do you suggest we do? I have never delved into the realm of fortune, let alone know how to enhance it."

"Does the strategist have a way to improve one's fortune? Please inform me quickly. If it works, I will reward you handsomely. Apart from this acquired spiritual treasure, the Water-Dividing Fork, I can give you everything else I have."

"Top-grade river delicacies? Millions of incense silver? A complete set of top-grade magical artifacts and armor? My most beloved eighteenth concubine?"

Yuan Haowen swallowed hard. I also want your wife, but unfortunately I don't have a physical body now. What can I do?

"I serve you, sir, why should I receive a reward?"

"I have heard that the Sui army is currently clearing out rebels at Dasanguan Pass on the shore. Why don't you go ashore and join the Sui army to help them suppress the rebels?"

"The Great Sui Dynasty is the source of human destiny. If you help the Sui Dynasty quell the rebellion, you will surely share in the destiny. When your destiny rises, you will be able to easily win the title of king."

As they spoke, Yuan Haowen had unknowingly walked up to the black dragon of the Wei River, with only a foot between them. The dense bad luck, under the operation of the Scripture of Helping Misfortune and Calamity, quietly seeped into the black dragon's body, affecting its mind.

Under the influence of the imminent bad luck, the Black Dragon almost forgot that the Sui Dynasty was about to perish and that its remaining fortune was running out. He also forgot that his combat power would be greatly reduced after going ashore, and whether he would be in danger.

"Good, this plan is excellent. You truly are my strategist. Haha, I'll head ashore now and join the Wei army at Dasanguan."

Having said that, he hurriedly parted the water and headed towards the Sui army camp at Dasanguan.

But then he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and turned back. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a water chain that swept up a beautiful female demon, which he then threw into Yuan Haowen's arms.

"Strategist, from this day forward, my most beloved concubine will be yours."

Yuan Haowen blinked his small eyes, looking at the beautiful, shy, and timid demoness in his arms, his face full of conflict.

What use is it to me? I'm already useless to you.

When the black dragon of the Wei River left the Wei River and flew towards Dasanguan, where the Sui army was stationed, it happened to encounter a centipede dragon that was a hundred feet long. It turned out to be its stepmother, the favorite concubine of the old Wei River Dragon King.

This centipede dragon had a dragon head, but its body was still that of a water centipede. Now, when it encountered an acquaintance while riding the clouds, it immediately used its divine power to transform into a graceful and alluring woman.

"My dear son, where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"Oh, you've got quite the temper, you black mudfish. I advise you to give up your idea of ​​competing for the dragon throne as soon as possible. I now have a perfect plan and I will definitely become the Dragon King of the Wei River."

"If you submit to me now, I will reward you with my first lover in the future; otherwise, I will devour you to help me transform into a dragon."

(End of this chapter)