Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 2 Rely on yourself

Three miles north of Chaodou Hutong lies Weiheng Street in Wuqing County, Tongzhou.

The well where Chen Shunan worked was located in a corner alley on Weiheng Street.

Tang Laogui's jurisdiction was located on Jinyuan Street, which was next to Weiheng Street.

The body had just been retrieved and was still lying on the well on Jinyuan Street.

Although the body was bloated and grotesque, Chen Shunan recognized it at a glance as Tang Laogui, that dead ghost.

Chen Shunan suddenly felt a sense of unease, sensing that something was amiss.

Good news, the biggest worry has been eliminated.

Bad news, it seems an even bigger problem has arrived.

Chen Shunan didn't believe that the two well-dwelling laborers falling into the well one after the other was just a coincidence.

Shuiwozi was considered the most powerful place in the capital, and countless scoundrels, gangsters, and even martial artists frequented it.

Furthermore, it is backed by the Kyoto Water Merchants Association, whose president is a genuine "Hakusan man," a lieutenant in the Governor's Office.

Now someone is actually so audacious as to try and take advantage of the water pit?

A storm is brewing...

Chen Shunan was preoccupied with worries.

He lifted his robe and hurried toward Weiheng Street.

San Dezi also sensed something was wrong, his face darkened, and he tacitly remained silent.

The sun is high in the sky, and the world is like a vast kiln.

Horse-drawn carriages came and went on the streets, and dust filled the dry, yellow earth streets.

A camel caravan from the Northwest slowly passed through the county gate and temporarily purchased red willow branches and reeds on Weiheng Street.

The camel bells jingled through the dust as they headed towards the capital.

When they encountered the arrogant "Baishan people" and important figures riding their horses through the streets, the whole street fell silent. Chen Shunan and San Dezi quickly turned their backs and hid on the side of the street to make way.

Only after the important figures on horseback had completely gone far away did they continue their journey.

We arrived at Weiheng Street.

The ground was wet, and shouts and the sound of splashing water came rushing in.

Chen Shunan, dressed in a long robe and mandarin jacket, paused at the alley entrance.

Wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve, he straightened his back before stepping across the wet ground with his hands tucked in and into the alley.

Many boatmen, swaying their hips, wearing short shirts and trousers, and pushing wheelbarrows, were stunned for a moment when they saw Chen Shunan, and then they all showed their enthusiasm and greeted him.

"Brother Chen is here?"

"Brother Chen, have you eaten yet? My fried liver is fresh, would you like to try some and give me your opinion?"

"Brother Shun'an, why don't you rest a bit more? Leave Shuiwozi to us brothers, so you can relax!"

Chen Shunan was quite popular among this group of Shui San'er. Even those who were introverted and aloof would nod in acknowledgment when Chen Shunan looked at them.

"I am very grateful to my brothers for helping me push the cart and deliver water during this period!"

When it's our turn to be on duty this month, Chen will book a whole table at the Erhun Restaurant in Guaizao Alley. Order whatever you like: deep-fried meatballs, crispy fried meatballs, and sliced ​​pork! We'll provide meals for the whole day. Everyone should come if they have free time!

Upon hearing Chen Shunan's words, everyone knew that he sincerely wanted to treat them, and their enthusiasm grew even stronger.

At the well, two young twins were working together, turning the windlass to draw water and pouring the muddy water into a large water tank.

The other watermen then scooped water from the troughs and filled the wooden water tanks on the wheelbarrows, weighing about 500 jin (250 kg), in more than ten loads.

Chen Shunan took off his long gown, revealing his short shirt underneath, and rolled up his trouser legs before carefully folding the long gown and putting it into the cabinet under the shed.

The two shopkeepers knew that Chen Shunan had a habit of going to the teahouse to drink tea and listen to storytelling after work. This long black cloth gown was a status symbol, something that poor people simply couldn't afford.

After informing the twin shop assistants, Chen Shunan walked to the water trough and saw that San Dezi had already filled his water cart.

San Dezi said, "Brother, are you sure you can do it?"

Chen Shunan stretched out his palms, twisted his arms, and his muscles rippled like mercury, releasing a faint gust of air with a hiss.

This is the manifestation of gathering strength, tempering muscles and tendons, and channeling power throughout the body!
Chen Shunan laughed and said, "You little glass ball, your brother has been pushing the waterwheel for seven or eight years, what's wrong with that?"

San Dezi chuckled and said nothing more.

The splashing of water rose and fell, but soon it quieted down.

After the thirty-odd water carriers had finished fetching water, none of them pushed their carts to deliver it. Some leaned against the wall with one leg, while others squatted on the ground, waiting in the alley as if they were waiting for someone.

People passed by the alley from time to time, but as soon as they glanced inside, they would look away as if they had seen a pack of wolves and tigers, and quickly keep their heads down and continue on their way.

However, by the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Shui San'er still hadn't seen the person she was waiting for.

"Let's not wait any longer, let's go find Manager Li!"

"That's right! How dare someone bully us in our humble village? It made Brother Chen bedridden for half a month. This isn't over yet!"

"Old Tang is dead! I heard several others in the other districts have also died!"

"If you ask me, it must have been those guys in the mill who did it! They're the ones who did it!!"

In the heat of the moment, the group of watermen roared until their faces turned red and their necks bulged. Some even pulled out machetes, axes, darts, and even crossbows from under the waterwheel.

Full of martial virtue.

The group of Shui San'er stood up for Chen Shun'an, partly out of genuine concern and partly out of self-interest.

After all, if one of them is gone, the other will be in danger. If Chen Shunan is at home but something happens elsewhere, then that's one thing.

But it just so happened that he fell into the well right here!
This time it's Chen Shunan, who will it be next time?
And all the other tunnel segments have had accidents!

This is a slap in the face to all the scalpers, to the bosses, and to the entire scalping industry!
As for the 'mortar and pestle', it's an old enemy of the well pit.

During the previous dynasty, water was free in the capital, and most well water was public.

However, due to the high mountains and long roads, and the deep and complicated streets and alleys, some families had difficulty fetching water. Therefore, people from Qingzhou would help fetch water and earn a meager profit to support their families.

However, after the establishment of the Changbai Holy Dynasty, in order to reward those who followed the emperor, the private ownership of well water was changed and it was given to the people of Jizhou who fought for him.

After the people of Qingzhou were driven away, they took up the business of rice pounding, specializing in hulling coarse rice and turning it into refined rice.

If the person pounding rice is a "white mountain man" who receives a monthly stipend of rice from the imperial court, then the rice pounder will naturally wag his tail and beg for mercy, calling out to his master.

If the people coming to pound rice are just ordinary folks, then the rice-pounding workshop will naturally face all sorts of difficulties, taking three out of every ten rice grains.

As for the 'Baishan people', they are the royal family of the Changbai Holy Dynasty and the Shun people who were carried up the mountain to become part of the 'Baishan people'.

Chen Shun'an and his group, along with the people from Jizhou and Qingzhou, were all from Shun. The alleyway was thick with tension and filled with a menacing aura.

Chen Shunan remained silent, his gaze fixed on a corner.

Many of the water spirits appeared angry, their blood boiling, and they glanced in that direction out of the corner of their eyes.

Beside the well sat a figure silently smoking a pipe, never looking up from beginning to end.

"Alright, what are you doing? Don't cause trouble for the boss."

The man raised his head, revealing a fierce and ugly face with a triangular head and toad-like eyes.

The sound was soft, but it resonated deeply in everyone's ears.

The group of clamoring Shui San'er all calmed down.

The man put his lips to the pipe and slowly blew out the ash with a 'pfft'.

He then kneaded the soft, bright yellow shreds and put them into the pipe, then pursed his lips and blew on the tinder, exhaling two plumes of thick smoke from his nostrils.

The column of smoke lingered, resembling a dragon of mist.

The man suddenly stood up, his arms swinging like executioner's weights, his strides whistling through the air, shattering the smoke column, and in the blink of an eye he was in front of the crowd.

"Instructor Lin."

"Instructor Lin, what do you suggest? We'll listen to you!"

Instructor Lin glanced at Chen Shunan before turning to face the crowd, his eyes filled with disdain.
"If they dare to use underhanded tactics against us, they must be absolutely certain of victory. With your mediocre skills, how many of you can possibly kill?"

These three martial arts practitioners all came with their own skills, each with their own lineage and knowledge, and most of them were at the level of third-rate martial artists with the ability to gather strength.

This Instructor Lin, however, had already reached the pinnacle of his physical strength and stepped into the second-rate 'He Yu Shu' realm.

The jade tree represents the skeleton; its bones are tempered like jade, its joints gleam, and its every move exudes power.

So sometimes, Instructor Lin would also give these three girls martial arts pointers, which is how he earned the title of Instructor.

"As for whether it was Ushiba who did it, does it matter? To put it bluntly, you're all just a bunch of cowards, useless cowards, weak and incompetent! That's why others are taking advantage of you!"

Instructor Lin's toad-like eyes flashed with a cold light as he said mercilessly,

"Get back to pushing the water cart! Less bird-walking and more tai chi, less women-watching and more stance training! This is none of your business!!"

Upon hearing this, the three men didn't argue and immediately dispersed.

The water bucket splashed, leaving tire tracks on the ground.

Chen Shunan was just about to push the cart when Instructor Lin suddenly walked up to him, gave him a nonchalant look, and said...
"I am cured?"

Chen Shunan cupped his hands and smiled, "I'm worried about you, Instructor. It's almost over. I guess the King of Hell won't take me."

"You've had it easy, lying in bed for half a month, while we brothers have been doing your job day and night."

Instructor Lin was indifferent and his tone seemed somewhat unfriendly, but he took out a goose-neck medicine bottle from his pocket and threw it directly onto Chen Shunan's waterwheel.

"This is a gold foil bezoar pill. Take one pill morning and night to calm the mind and clear away evil qi from the five internal organs... Take good care of your body and don't neglect your water delivery business!"

After saying that, Lin Jiao Tou ignored Chen Shun An's reaction, pushed off the ground and supported his back, and the waterwheel was already out of the alley.

Perhaps in Coach Lin's eyes, he didn't want Chen Shunan to drag everyone down, which is why he used both kindness and severity.

But a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions.

Chen Shunan remained silent for a moment, but still remembered this kindness, and carefully put away the medicine bottle.

……

Pushing the cart out of the alley, we arrived at the main street.

San Dezi and several boatmen were waiting for Chen Shunan.

Seeing Chen Shunan come out, the group calmly pushed the cart and set off.

Although he was curious about what Coach Lin had said to Chen Shunan.

However, the group wisely refrained from asking further questions.

A boatman with a worried look on his face said, "Instructor Lin is right, we are still too weak! I have been stuck at the stage of Qi circulation for a long time. After I finish my shift, I want to go to Qianzhitang to buy a dose of Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Ointment and see if I can circulate my Qi throughout my body."

Someone frowned and said, "You'd better think this through. The Two Immortals Ointment is a potent and dangerous medicine. If it fails..."

As they talked, their eyes inadvertently glanced at Chen Shunan.

Chen Shunan's strength was perfected, thanks to the risky consumption of "Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Ointment" back then, which forced his strength to flow smoothly through his joints, but also left him with great drawbacks.

One example is that even brothers no longer bow and salute each other.

Of course, these secrets are not for outsiders to know.

San Dezi said with some pain, "The Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Ointment isn't cheap; it costs more than ten taels of silver. Brother, you'd better think it over! Don't spend the money and still not get the job done!"

"What's there to be afraid of! With Brother Chen setting a good example for me, if I don't even have this much courage, I might as well just get lost and go home to farm!"

The group laughed and cursed.

Chen Shunan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

As the storm looms, some are rushing to buy potent medicine, others are seeking guidance from top-tier martial arts masters at the martial arts academy, and still others are preparing to acquire several handy weapons.

I walked to the street, to the crossroads.

San Dezi and others parted ways with Chen Shunan one after another.

Following the neighborhood map he knew by heart, Chen Shunan headed towards his regular customers.

Having just recovered from a serious illness, the 500-pound waterwheel felt heavier than usual.

The muscles in my arms trembled slightly, and my tendons ached.

Chen Shunan took a deep breath and splashed some cold water on his arm. The water was icy cold and he used it to forcefully suppress the abnormality in his blood and qi.

He seemed preoccupied.

Although Coach Lin, the boss, and others took the blame for this.

But if...

What if they can't hold on?

Ultimately, you can only rely on yourself.

At the very least, one needs to possess strength comparable to that of Instructor Lin to have any means of self-defense.

With a thought, Chen Shunan looked at the [Three Elements Water Official True Spirit Treasure Proclamation] in his mind.

(End of this chapter)