Thieves, Inner Armor (Two-in-One)

Liang Qu closed the book and put it in his pocket, then casually accepted three Cockscomb Fruit.

"Okay, I'll remember that if you're going to take it."

"Write it down."

Li Shoufu licked his brush and wrote down Liang Qu's name, time, place, and task details in the booklet.

Liang Qu leaned against the table. "Is there any subsidy for this kind of work that goes to other counties?"

"What are you thinking? It's not like we're going to another prefecture. The entire Huaiyin Prefecture is under the jurisdiction of our River Conservancy Office. There are no extra subsidies, but there is compensation for those who die in battle."

By the way, this is your first time on an outpost mission. I didn't tell you about this beforehand, so don't blame me for saying something unlucky. Everyone follows the same procedure.

[Marsh Essence +8.6]

Liang Qu, munching on Cockscomb Fruit, wiped the juice from his mouth and said, "Brother, you go ahead, I'm listening."

"Starting from the day you set off, if you don't return within one Yaori Period, you'll be considered missing; if you don't return within ten days, you'll be considered dead. The mission difficulty will be raised from Grade E to level D."

Furthermore, as long as you are not punished by the Ministry of Ministry of Personnel and do not commit any wrongdoings during your tenure, the River Conservancy Office will issue a pension to your family three months later.

Brother Liang's official rank is worth 128 taels of silver, 10 mu of fertile land, and an additional 10 years of tax exemption.

"If you have a son, your son can hold an official position, but it will be a lower rank, like a ninth-grade river chief. Let me see..." Li Shoufu flipped through the booklet. "Hmm? Brother Liang didn't designate a recipient? If not, then it's assumed to be given to the closest relative."

"Hey, hey, hey, no!" Liang Qu quickly stopped him. "Write my Master's name as the recipient of the pension: Yang Dongxiong, Pingyang Ping Yang County Huaiyin Prefecture."

He's an orphan, and his closest relative is none other than his rotten uncle, Liang Guangtian.

It's too dirty.

"Okay, I'll write it down for you."

Liang Qu felt something was off about the serious discussion about who would receive his pension.

"What, do you find it strange?" Li Shoufu laughed. "There's nothing strange about it. Everyone is the same. It's good to cultivate oneself while serving in the government, but nothing is perfect."

If you want to live better than others, you have to take risks. Look at those fishermen, they go out to fish every night in the middle of the night. If they encounter a rainstorm one day, they might end up drowning.

Besides, every household has Peace Jar, and it's unlikely that any house will actually catch fire. It's better to be prepared.

That makes sense.

"Okay, is everything alright now? If it's alright, I'll go back and get ready, take a nap, and leave tomorrow at noon."

"It's alright, get some rest early today."

Thump.

Liang Qu threw down a sinking stone, pulled out the boat rope, wrapped it around the wooden stake at the berth a few times, tied a knot, and jumped Shang An.

The wine flag in front of the tavern fluttered in the night wind.

A passing fisherman called out, and a waiter brought him a bowl of warm wine. He picked up the bowl, drank it down, threw down three copper coins, and had the waiter grab him.

"Sir, it's been so long since you've had a drink, and you don't have enough money!"

"How is that not enough? A bowl of wine costs three copper coins. Are you trying to rip people off?!" the fisherman roared, his neck bulging.

"The price has already gone up. Look at how much grain prices are outside now, and you're still thinking about drinking cheap wine? Now it's twenty coins a pound of wine, and ten coins a bowl of wine!"

"You want ten coins for half a jin of wine? Why don't you just rob me? Grandpa only has six copper coins on him, do you want Mother's love or not!"

"Hey, stop messing around! Help! Help! There's food!"

A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rang out from the houses along the street, sending a chill down one's spine.

The screams stopped abruptly, followed by barking dogs from every household, then a chaotic cacophony of voices, as if sleeping villagers had all gotten up, and someone was shouting something, creating a great commotion.

Liang Qu, being Martial Artist, had sharp hearing and eyesight, and could hear more clearly than ordinary people.

"Hey! You bastard, trying to steal my grain! Don't you know how many eyes Lord Ma has? Fugui, go and grab him!"

"Master, he's not breathing, he's dead."

"Dead? So easily defeated?"

"Master, you are Martial Master. This cripple is no match for you. You could kill him with a single swing of your stick."

"Damn it, dying in my yard is such bad luck. Take him away, take him away. Fugui, remember to tell the authorities tomorrow morning, or someone will try to frame me."

"Yes, sir."

Liang Qu walked a few steps forward and stood in front of the alley, where he saw two people carrying a thin man out of the alley.

Strings of blood beads slid down from the ends of the thin man's wet hair at the back of his head, rolled onto the stone slab, and remained unbroken despite being covered in dust, like little red beans.

The steward carrying the corpse saw someone standing at the alley entrance and was about to tell the person to get out of the way when he suddenly noticed Liang Qu's dark blue official robe with auspicious clouds in the moonlight. He immediately stopped talking and put on a fawning smile.

"Sir, please don't misunderstand. You saw it yourself. Yin broke into someone's house at night. He must have committed adultery or theft. We are in the right."

Liang Qu didn't say anything, he just left from the alley entrance.

The steward wiped the cold sweat from his temples and breathed a sigh of relief, almost thinking that some officials were coming to extort money from him.

The barking of the dogs gradually subsided, and the candlelight in the windows was extinguished one by one.

The Tavern Waiter looked around and slapped his thigh in regret.

"Hey, where's that ugly guy? He hasn't paid for his drinks yet!"

one two three.

This is the third one this month.

Liang Qu walked along the road, silently counting.

On April 8th, only eight days into the month, he had already seen the third thief killed.

This is just what we've seen; there's much more that we haven't seen.

Such was the situation at the beginning of the year.

It's possible that a perfectly capable man might not be able to find work to make a living.

When people can't get enough to eat and can't starve to death, more and more people resort to shady dealings.

The laws of the Da Shun did not respect human rights. In the days before electric lights, if you encountered a vicious person, you would have been chopped into eight pieces in the time it takes to light a candle, so murder was not prohibited at all.

Even if the thief is subdued, the master of the house will most likely not report it to the authorities, but will have his servants beat him to death as a warning to others.

The arrival of the disaster victims was just the beginning; the crime rate throughout Ping Yang County was rising sharply.

Unfortunately, Liang Qu couldn't do anything.

Even if he were County Magistrate, he wouldn't have the ability to govern the area.

You can't conjure grain out of thin air.

"We need to get a dog at home, a Black Fang puppy would be perfect."

There are quite a few valuable things in the house, and the clothes in the closet are all quite expensive.

Normally, only the young groom stays at home to look after the horses. At thirteen, he's good enough to feed the horses, but he can't handle anything that happens.

It just so happens that in early March, Black Fang at Master Yang's house went into heat. Last time I went to check on them, several female dogs had swollen bellies.

Counting the days, the baby will be born in early May, and then he'll go and pick a strong one.

early morning.

A ripple spread across the pond in the courtyard.

A Fat Catfish poked its head out from under a clump of duckweed, its big eyes darting around.

"A Fei?"

Liang Qu put down Fubo, wiped the sweat from his morning exercise, and wondered what the Fat Catfish wanted to do so early in the morning.

The Fat Catfish flicked its whiskers, raised its head, and spat out half a dark blue Broken Blade at the edge of the pool.

"What good stuff did you find this time?"

The Fat Catfish shook its head and blew a series of bubbles in the water.

"Oh? Your Toad Big Brother gave it to you?"

Ever since discovering the Undercurrent Tunnel that allowed free passage, and having sworn Toad with the toad, the Fat Catfish would visit every few days.

Last night, Fat Catfish was rocking around in one of Toad's Da Bao when he unexpectedly discovered a small piece of Broken Blade.

After being soaked in water for so long, the blade showed no signs of rust, which is quite remarkable.

The Toad wasn't interested in the aesthetically unappealing Broken Blade, so the Fat Catfish brought it back without thinking.

Liang Qu walked to the edge of the pool and picked up the broken blade.

"What a heavy knife!"

The broken knife is palm-width, half a finger-thick, and only half a foot long. It's more like a blade than a broken knife, but it weighs at least thirty pounds.

The break was unusually clean, like a piece of wood that had been shaved off, leaving only this small section of the blade.

When you press gently with your fingertip, a small crack quickly appears on your skin, and it seems about to bleed.

Extremely sharp.

Liang Qu held the Broken Blade up to the sunlight. Under the morning light, the blade shone with a dark blue light, and small white dots could be faintly seen in the blade. Looking down at the light and shadow reflected on the wall, it resembled blue water ripples.

"Water Submergence Gold!?"

Liang Qu's eyes flickered.

Water Submergence Gold is worth the same as gold! But if there's demand, it can be even more expensive than gold!

It is unknown how much of the 30-pound Broken Blade contains Water Submergence Gold, but it is conservatively estimated to contain more than 70%.

If it could be refined further, it would be worth at least two hundred taels of gold and two thousand taels of silver!

A palm-sized blade is worth two thousand taels of silver.

Damn, which general's knife is that expensive?

Liang Qu felt the thing was too hot to handle, so he hurriedly ran into the house, wrapped it in a black cloth, and put it in a wooden box.

"Well done A Fei!"

As Liang Qu crossed the courtyard, he didn't forget to praise the Fat Catfish, and then rode up Red Mountain to Ping Yang County.

Lu Residence, Lu Gang was reprimanding a new apprentice.

Liang Qu glanced at him and saw a new face he had never seen before. The face was young and very thin.

Upon seeing his junior apprentice approaching, Lu Gang waved his hand, and the new apprentice felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

"The newly recruited apprentice is named Li Yuan. He has great talent and he did a good job using a hammer on his first try, but he is also very clumsy."

Lu Gang offered an explanation.

Liang Qu nodded. Senior Brother Lu didn't say much, mostly expressing his disappointment and frustration.

"Junior Brother Liang, are you in such a hurry because something important is happening?"

Liang Qu shook the wooden box in his hand.

Lu Gang understood and tacitly led his junior brother to the Quiet Room, closed the door, and pushed away the noise outside like a tide.

"Senior brother, take a look at this."

Liang Qu stepped forward and opened the wooden box that was placed on the table.

Half of the knife tip lay in the black cloth, gleaming with a dark blue light.

Lu Gang held the small fragment up to the sunlight to examine it.

"What a beautiful piece of Water Submergence Gold! Where did you get it, junior brother?"

"Found in the water."

It's in the water again!

Lu Gang clicked his tongue. Why did he feel that all the good stuff in the water had been taken by his junior brother? Having lived in Ping Yang County for so many years, Lu Gang had never seen anyone get rich by fishing in the water, but Liang Qu kept bringing back one item after another.

"Senior brother, take a look, is this thing still worth anything?"

"It's worth it. The content of Water Submergence Gold exceeds 80%. Just melting down the material yields two thousand taels of silver. Junior brother, do you want to continue adding to it? Water Submergence Gold is very adaptable and can be fused with most materials, so adding to it is certainly possible."

"No plastic added." Liang Qu waved his hand. "If you think it's useful, then give it to me. Senior Brother Lu has helped me so much, and I haven't even repaid the favor he did for me in creating Fubo."

Lu Gang repeatedly twirled the razor blade between his fingers.

"Are you really going to give it to me?"

"Really!"

Tungsten Gold is not as valuable Water Submergence Gold, but it is not cheap either.

There's also Ivory White Wood, which is equally valuable.

The materials alone for the entire Fubo sword cost several thousand taels of silver, and Liang Qu wasn't the type to take advantage of others.

He could sell the blade anyway, so he might as well leave it to Senior Brother Lu.

The Water Submergence Gold spun between Lu Gang's fingers; the thirty-pound blade was no different from a leaf in his hands.

Water Submergence Gold has excellent compatibility, making it very useful for filling and repairing.

Thinking of his broken Spirit Weapon, he knew that if he delayed any longer, it would damage its spiritual essence.

After thinking for a long time, Lu Gang nodded.

"Then I'll accept it."

His Spirit Weapon's material properties are very special. For the past six months, he has been unable to find the raw materials to repair it. Water Submergence Gold is already the best solution among materials of different species.

Seeing that Lu Gang had accepted it, Liang Qu's face showed a slight joy.

Senior Brother Xu had mentioned to him before that Senior Brother Lu's Spirit Weapon had broken and had not been repaired due to material issues.

The most distinctive feature of Water Submergence Gold is its high compatibility; it's excellent for repairing weapons, which is why it was delivered so quickly.

Lu Gang put away the razor blades, in a good mood.

"Last time we hunted the Sturgeon Fish Demon, my Master asked me to make an inner armor for each of you using the demon's hide. It was only finished a couple of days ago. I was planning to send it over sometime, but since you're here, you can try it on and see if it fits."

A moment later, a black matte backplate appeared on Liang Qu's body. The inner armor felt nice to the touch, soft and breathable, and did not restrict his movements at all.

This is genuine Demon Beast hide! It's comparable to that of a Hunting Tiger!

If it were a low-level Wolf Smoke Martial Master, the weapon they used would almost be unable to cut through!

With his divine armor, unparalleled Cultivation Method, and the combined Martial Bone and Ying Long Mark, Liang Qu felt that ordinary people at the mid- Galloping Horse Upper Realm could not defeat him.

After putting away his inner armor, Liang Qu bid farewell to Lu Gang, who was working on repairing the Spirit Artifact, went home to pack his things, and prepared to go to the neighboring Feng Bu County.

This time, the Water Beast's mischief occurred in Wu Shui Town, under the jurisdiction of Feng Bu County. Six fishermen have gone missing and eight have been confirmed dead, all within the last half month.

It is said to be a Water Demon that resembles a human.

Arm Guard, inner armor, then an official robe, Mountain Ox Hide belt, and Cloud Stepping Boots.

Fubo, Azure Wolf, Profound Water Trident, Liang Qu grabbed a Black Cloak. The cloak his Second Senior Brother had given him was very useful, but unfortunately, he couldn't wear it anymore. The weather was getting warmer in April, and it would be too hot to wear a cloak.

He stuffed the cloak back into the cabinet and took off a Waist Token, hanging it around his waist.

The Waist Token of the River Conservancy Office is indispensable; it serves as proof of identity when traveling and deters criminals.

noon.

"Are you embarking on a long journey, Benefactor?"

In the kitchen, the Old Monk saw Liang Qu and was quite surprised by his attire.

"I will be going out for the next three or four days. If anything happens at home, I would appreciate it if you could take care of things for me."

The Old Monk clasped his hands together in prayer.

"That's certainly the case."

At Shang Rao Wharf, Liang Qu put his things away and untied the boat ropes.

The area of a county is not standardized; it is mostly divided according to the distance Galloping Horse Martial Master would travel in a fixed direction in one day and one night, and it is extremely large.

Taking the waterway through Liang Qu is a shortcut, but it will still take a day and a half. We can then search for traces of the Water Demon in Feng Bu County. It should take about three or four days to complete the task, which should be done in half Yaori Period.

As for the five-headed Water Beast...

After much deliberation, Liang Qu decided to leave the Round Head behind and take the remaining four beasts with him.

On the one hand, Round Head needs to take care of the Little River Porpoise finless porpoise; on the other hand, leaving Round Head in the local area allows him to serve as a senior liaison officer.

It is smarter than the four beasts.

Through the Mental Link, Liang Qu could keep track of the situation in Ping Yang County at any time, and incidentally, he could have Round Head take over the work of the Fat Catfish and other beasts, so that the Fish Gang wouldn't be idle.

In this way, Liang Qu could be described as fully armed.

In the Lotus Root Waters, apart from Awei on his wrist, the remaining four beasts, including the Little River Porpoise, all surfaced.

The Fat Catfish was very excited; it was its first time going on such a long trip.

He placed several sections of lotus root, held between his Fist, into the boat; these were sections of lotus root with the most Marsh Essence.

"Round Head, the family is counting on you. Learn from the Fat Catfish when fishing. Don't try to fight back when you encounter danger. Protecting yourself and Little River Porpoise is the most important thing."

Round Head barked a few times, all to reassure Liang Qu.

Liang Qu had confidence in Round Head's wisdom. He put two sets of "Fish Saddle" on the Cannot Move and Fat Catfish, and then put a piece of rope over the Fist.

The Fat Catfish, with its long Cannot Move tail, parted the water ripples and propelled itself forward.

The wind picked up, leaving no trace on the water.

The entire boat sped forward, propelled by two Water Beast, with a Big Crab hanging at the very back.

Feng Bu County, let's go!