Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 354 Those who are virtuous will find many helpers, and the world will follow their lead.

On the second day of the seventh lunar month, the vast land of southern Xinjiang underwent a dramatic upheaval.

The new canal begins at the Yuancang River, but it is not limited to the Yuancang River basin.

On Xiaofeng Mountain, the ugly monkey scratched its ears and cheeks in front of the water mirror, squeaking anxiously.

"How audacious! How audacious! Can a canal really be built like this?"

The ugly monkey's eyes were almost pressed against the water mirror; one moment it was amazed, the next it couldn't help but want to splash some cold water on it.

"The terrain here is treacherous. If the drop in elevation is not resolved, how can the water flow across? Even if it does, I'm afraid it will be impossible for boats to pass."

"Hiss, these locks can be split like this? And he's turned the rapids into calm waters... Damn it, why didn't I think of that?"

The ugly monkey was so angry that its big eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and its mottled cheeks puffed out.

He couldn't help but ask Mr. Zhou, "Sir! Are we really not going to try and steal the credit? Bah! Bah, what credit-stealing? I'm so stupid!"
My lord, are we really not going to help? I think that Wen Daoyuan's magical power seems a bit lacking.

Ah, we've passed Anping Prefecture, and now we have to cross the Yunheng Mountain Range. This Jingheng Road is not easy to pass; we either have to detour or cut through the mountains.

"Sir, shall we lend a hand again and help them clear the mountain?"

Before the words were finished, a series of monkey-like squeals came from the water mirror.

In the blink of an eye, a whole group of monkey demons rushed out from the vast mountains.

The leading old monkey was seven feet tall, covered in white fur, and dragged a huge vajra that was over ten feet long in its hand.

No one knew where its precious pestle came from, but it let out a long laugh, its aged voice echoing through the sky:
"Fellow Daoist Chen, the gray monkeys of Lingxi Mountain, Yuancun and his clan have come to this gathering to help you open the mountain!"

It turned out to be the gray monkey clan that used to live in the Lingxi Mountains, who came after hearing the news.

Having drunk the Jade Elixir of Enlightenment, the Grey Monkey King has now successfully condensed his demon core, increasing his size and demonic power, becoming a true great demon.

It has cultivated itself for many years and has a profound foundation.

Now, after years of accumulating power, he has finally cultivated a demon core and possesses various extraordinary supernatural abilities.

That precious pestle weighed a full 8,900 jin (approximately 4,500 kg), capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

On the other side of the water mirror, the ugly monkey's eyes widened, and he was so angry that the hair on his body seemed to stand on end like steel needles.

Both being monkeys, the white-haired old monkey, carrying a precious pestle, led his monkey offspring to gather in the mountains and forests, full of vigor and high spirits, to attend this momentous event that marked the beginning of the world.

But the ugly monkey is trapped on this barren and desolate little mountain. Not to mention leaving this little box to go to the truly vast world, it is not free even within the confines of this little box.

"You infuriate me, Monkey King!" the ugly monkey roared angrily. "How dare you, a mere little demon, call yourself Monkey King? You have no idea how big your own ego is! You truly have no idea how big your own ego is!"

But the appearance of the Grey Monkey King was just the beginning.

Later, when a mountain path in the Yunheng Mountains was opened up with the help of a group of monkey demons, Wen Daoyuan's magical power gradually began to wane, making it difficult to control the surging river water rushing in from behind—

Just as Chen Xu was about to step in and take over, he saw a huge figure, more than ten feet long, rushing towards him from the waves behind him.

The figure was tall and imposing, and at first glance, it seemed to have the shape of a dragon.

Upon closer inspection, however, it was discovered that the creature had no horns on its head and no claws on its body; it was actually a snake demon that had cultivated to a certain level.

The snake demon called out loudly, "Fellow Daoist Chen, I am Bai Cang, a lowly demon. I have heard that you intend to carry out the grand project of diverting water from the south to the north, and I have come here to offer my assistance."

Please give the order, Fellow Daoist Chen, and this lowly demon will command you to control the water and capture the waves; none will disobey!

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant snake plunged into the churning river, gathering all the waves, and in an instant rushed into the newly opened river channel ahead.

The mighty river flows on, with giant serpents darting and weaving, causing white waves to meet the clouds and sky, creating a magnificent mythological scene when viewed from afar.

This giant serpent was no minor demon; it was actually the Water Lord of Brilliant Star Lake, a powerful demon with even greater cultivation and magical power than the Grey Monkey King.

Although the Water Lord of Star Lake has not yet transformed into a dragon, his ability to control water, summon clouds and rain is among the best in the entire Dali Kingdom.

The ugly monkey, on the other side of the water mirror, scratched his head and face in frustration, muttering to himself:
"This Chen Xu certainly has a wide circle of friends. There's the Ghost King, the Monkey Demon, and now a giant snake. I wonder what other creatures will come to his aid?"
In my opinion, this should be enough.

The ugly monkey spoke sullenly, its eyes wide as it waited in front of the water mirror.

Then they waited from the south to the north, from sunrise to sunset, witnessing the grand and bustling construction of the canal.

Instead of using the labor of ordinary people, it was entirely a matter of magic, with the god descending to the mortal realm.

It wasn't entirely without the participation of ordinary people.

Most of the households living not far from the canal heard Wen Daoyuan's grand announcement.

He recited the essay "Strategy to Suppress the Locust Demon" repeatedly, and the great Confucian scholar's edifying power enabled most listeners to vaguely understand the true meaning of the article.

Although their understanding varied in depth and breadth, people would still spontaneously travel along the way.

Ordinary people, such as peddlers, farmers, and craftsmen, carried hoes or baskets... in short, they brought whatever they had on hand and did whatever they could.

Even if it's just digging a few shovelfuls of soil or carrying a few loads of sand and gravel, it's still a contribution.

Although it may not be of great help, the unity of the people and the common aspirations of all are the greatest support for Wen Daoyuan at this moment.

Since Chen Xu's previous drawing, "Map of Mountains and Rivers in the North and South", was drawn, it has been growing rapidly by absorbing the power of all sides.

Although the treasure map is now invisible, it is constantly emitting golden light, guiding the rapid opening of the canal.

A magnificent aura formed between heaven and earth, making everything in mythology seem to fall into reality at this moment. The ugly monkey watched with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and inexplicable anger.

It held out its withered, furry paws and counted in a shrill voice:

"We've covered three thousand li, four thousand li, five thousand li... What a fast speed! Squeak squeak squeak, we've passed the Yunheng Mountains too. Hey, now there won't be any more ghosts and monsters coming to help Chen Xu, right?"

As soon as Ugly Monkey finished speaking, the canal finally crossed the Yunheng Mountains and was about to extend the mighty river into Jingheng Road.

Dozens of miles away, suddenly the howling of wolves could be heard.

"Ouch——"

The wolf demon's roar was so powerful that it seemed to shake the entire earth.

Ugly Monkey stared wide-eyed at the water mirror, then suddenly became excited: "Whoa, are we about to encounter enemies? Yes, yes, from south to north. These sixteen prefectures of the northern frontier are now scorching hot."

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project faces challenges beyond just the river crossing the Yunheng Mountains. The most crucial issue is how to get the water into the north!
The great demons of the North are quite different from those of the South. Surely, the great demons of the North aren't going to come and help this kid Chen Xu too?

It couldn't help but gloat.

Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Zhou glanced at them helplessly.

Mr. Zhou even stretched out his withered hand again, as if he wanted to give the ugly monkey another flick on the head.

But he ultimately did not make a move, because another change occurred in the water mirror.

Dust billowed and smoke rose as a pack of wolves ran about.

Suddenly, the leading wolf king leaped into the air and transformed into a burly man who was over ten feet tall.

The burly man was dressed in an open-fronted short jacket, with tufts of wolf fur growing on his chest and two wolf ears on his head, clearly showing that he was still wild.

The wolf demon spoke, his voice booming like a drum, asking, "Fellow Daoist of the human race, your roast chicken is extremely delicious. I would like to ask if you have any more roast chicken on hand?"
"If you are willing to provide five... no, three, three roast chickens, I, the king, will lead my tribe to help you expand your territory and pave the way."

Hey!
The mighty wolf king could be bribed with just three roasted chickens.

Not only did he only order three roast chickens, he even lowered the price for himself!
On the water mirror side, the ugly monkey was dumbfounded.

It let out a sharp, piercing scream, roaring, "A disgrace to the demon race! What wolf king? To this monkey, he's clearly... a... good-for-nothing! Ouch..."

Boom!
Mr. Zhou's flick on the forehead landed on the ugly monkey's head once again.

Accompanying this was a sudden burst of laughter from Mr. Zhou.

The ugly monkey covered its head, daring to be angry but daring not to speak out.

Next, the ugly monkey saw that not only were wolf demons coming to the northern frontier begging for roasted chicken, but snake demons were also coming to beg for roasted chicken.

This snake is different from Bai Cang Shui Jun. While Bai Cang Shui Jun controls water and waves, this snake is good at turning over soil.

Its massive body arched across the cracked earth, instantly carving out a deep furrow.

This snake also led its clan along. Dozens of giant snakes overturned the ground together, and the canal waterways on the earth crisscrossed like sharp arrows, advancing another hundred miles in a short time.

The ugly monkey, seeing this, gradually became agitated. He stopped cursing and muttering, and simply repeated:
"With a severe drought stretching for thousands of miles, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project cannot be accomplished simply by diverting water from the north."

Even if this waterway could be built, I fear the river water would seep into the ground or evaporate in an instant... Hey, that's difficult."

The ugly monkey's words proved prophetic.

On the other side of the water mirror, everything was progressing rapidly.

The local people who came along the way to help were unable to travel thousands of miles along the canal route, but they were still moved to tears when they saw the water flowing in their local area. They exclaimed, "The gods have opened their eyes!"

After the river passed through the Yunheng Mountains, the disaster victims from the northern border came upon hearing the news. They were overjoyed and wept, running around and shouting, unable to contain their emotions.

"Good heavens, am I seeing things? Am I really not mistaken? Water, this really is water! Drinkable water, hahaha!"

The disaster victims, like ants, flocked to both sides of the river.

Some even ignored warnings and jumped into the river with a loud "bang."

"Water's here! Lots of water, a whole river's worth, hahaha... I have water to drink! I'll never die of thirst again, glug glug..."

The disaster victims shouted wildly, laughing and crying, in a state of ecstatic frenzy.

However, while jumping into the river would indeed provide water to drink, it would also cause people to drown!

Several thumping sounds were heard, followed immediately by a shout: "Ah, help—"

But it was too late.

However, in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people sank to the bottom of the river and drowned.

The changes were so rapid that neither Chen Xu and Wen Daoyuan, who were flying in the air, nor the Water Lord Canxing, who was drawing and controlling the water, nor the other demons who were helping to open up the river, could react in time.

Resentment surged up instantly; this was the Northern Frontier!

What should we do?

The ugly monkey cried out, "Ouch!"

(End of this chapter)