Big Fish

The sun has risen, and the morning breeze blows through the reeds, creating a desolate scene.

After half a day and a night, Liang Qu had arrived in Feng Bu County.

He moved forward close to the shore, passing through several villages and small towns, and the scenery he saw was completely different from that of Ping Yang County.

Grain prices in Ping Yang County have risen sharply, causing great suffering to many people. However, this is not a natural disaster but a man-made one.

Without floods or droughts, the crops grew well in the fields, and with the help of aid from neighboring prefectures, they were able to make ends meet.

Everyone knows that once we get through this period and harvest a crop of rice, life will be much better afterwards.

In addition, wealthy families flocked in and built houses, erecting grand mansions from the ground up, changing every day, and everyone could feel the vitality contained within.

Feng Bu County, however, was eerily quiet.

The villages that Liang Qu passed through were mostly inhabited by elderly people who were nearing the end of their lives.

The large number of young and middle-aged people in Ping Yang County did not appear out of thin air; the neighboring counties contributed the most.

Many small villages originally had only one or two hundred people. The Ghost Mother Sect killed half of them and scared away the other half, leaving only the elderly who could not walk far.

Only in large towns and counties is the situation better; people there have valuable possessions and are less likely to be easily scared away.

"Brother, could you tell me the name of your village?"

Finally spotting a somewhat bustling small market, Liang Qu had his three beasts dive down while he rowed forward to stop a fisherman returning to his boat.

When the fisherman saw that Liang Qu was wearing official robes, he quickly knelt down, but Liang Qu grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"No need for that. I'm just asking a question. Just tell me the truth, brother."

The fisherman said tremblingly, "Sir, this place is called Shi Qiao City."

"Shi Qiao City... Do you know where Wu Town is?"

"I know, I know." The fisherman nodded repeatedly and pointed to the west, "Go west for about twenty miles by water, and you'll be there soon."

"Then we haven't gone the wrong way." Liang Qu nodded, then asked, "Brother, there's something I don't understand. I've been rowing all the way here, so why are all your boats stopped at the dock?"

This is very strange.

Wharves were usually built by private individuals or government officials, and you had to pay to dock there. In Yi Xing Town, for example, it was usually two coins, but during the flood season it was four coins.

Even before Liang Qu became wealthy, he still had to pay.

But some daring people, unafraid of trouble, would park in the Reed Marsh, ignoring the wind and rain.

Or some people might encounter difficulties, such as when their parents or children are sick, and sometimes they might risk stopping outside to save money on a bowl of wine.

Everyone has their own way of living.

However, Liang Qu had traveled through several Reed Marsh and had never seen such a situation.

"Sir, you flatter me." The fisherman was terrified by Liang Qu's address and stammered, "Sir, you don't know, every single one of our boats belongs to the Fishing Wharf. If you park outside, won't you be beaten to death?"

Liang Qu was taken aback. "On my way here, I've passed through so many villages, and all the fishing boats were fishing boats with Fishing Wharf?"

"All of them!"

How is that possible?

Liang Qu's first reaction was disbelief.

When Yi Xing Town was still Yi Xing City, there were several hundred fishermen in the city. Only about 30% of them needed to rent fishing boats and relied on Fishing Wharf to make a living, while the rest all had their own boats.

Why is it so exaggerated to the point of 100%? But how could ordinary people dare to lie when they see him in his official robes? There must be some hidden story behind it.

After thinking for a moment, Liang Qu said, "Is this entire Fishing Wharf run by one person?"

"Your Excellency has keen insight; all the Fishing Wharf in Feng Bu County belong to the Whale Gang."

How should it be divided?

"Four six."

"Take 60%?"

"Sixty percent of them belong to other people."

Is it even possible to survive like this?

Liang Qu raised his eyebrows slightly.

Fishing depends heavily on the season and luck. Experienced fishermen can indeed earn sixty or seventy coins a day, but that's only during those few seasonal months. In winter, earning a dozen coins a day is considered pretty good.

They earn so little, then give away 60% and add two more taxes.

This is the best way to carry two mountains.

"Brother, tell me about this Whale Gang."

Liang Qu took out a small piece of silver from his pocket, about seven or eight cents, which could be exchanged for several dozen copper coins.

The fisherman swallowed hard when he saw the silver, but dared not take it. "Sir, you mustn't! You mustn't!"

"Here you go! It's just a little money for the drinks."

The fisherman could not refuse, so he carefully accepted the Silver Beans, held them tightly in his hand, looked around, and sighed.

"To talk about the Whale Gang, we have to start with its Whale Gang."

After a while, the fisherman left happily, clutching the Silver Beans, leaving Liang Qu standing there lost in thought.

Liang Qu took out the booklet from his bosom, opened it, and read it word by word.

In the past two weeks, six fishermen from Wu Town have gone missing and eight have been confirmed dead, bringing the total number of people involved in the incidents to fourteen.

But according to the fishermen, Wu Town has been plagued by Water Demon for a long time.

However, no one has taken any action. The County Government Office's Patrol Inspector and the Three Laws Department have completely ignored anything on the water.

Fishermen often encounter Water Demon when they go out to sea. Some die, while others return alive but lose their boats and are forced to rely on Fishing Wharf for survival.

It's just that it's happened less in the last year or two, but for some reason it's started happening again in the last half month.

The first page of the Liang Qu edition.

I thought all I had to do was deal with a Spirit Monster.

Liu Jie, the leader of the Whale Gang, is quite something.

"Looking in the mirror, I am shocked to see how thin I have become; a thousand regrets and sorrows weigh on my brow."

"A vow made on mountains and seas to defend against the changing times; a beautiful woman with a tragic fate can only blame heaven."

The Erhuang Slow Beat, in response to the melodious singing of the Hua Dan lead, is accompanied by the tossing of the water sleeves held in the hands, which flutter down like snowflakes.

It wafted out like a sweet floral perfume, carrying one's soul to an infinitely distant place.

"My heart is torn by infatuation, and I am constantly plagued by illness."

I made a vow with Xie ZhaoLang before the lamp, but who knew that fate would separate us like this?

The Hua Dan fell down so gently, and everyone reached out to help her up, feeling heartbroken and regretful.

Everywhere you look in the theater, there are people.

This is the concubine that Whale Gang Liu Jie, is going to marry. She will only perform one last time before leaving the theater to marry someone else.

"She's so beautiful. Even my ten concubines couldn't compare to her. Don't you think so, Master?"

Du Wenchang listened to the music, swaying his head and shaking his entire body. When he turned around, the Master Secretary was nowhere to be seen.

"It sounds beautiful, it looks beautiful, I'll give it a reward!"

evening.

The performance ended after the guests were seen off.

The Hua Dan, having washed off her makeup, moved slowly, her soft hands clutching a delicate handkerchief, following closely behind the Master Secretary into the County Magistrate's inner courtyard.

Du Wenchang's heart skipped a beat, and his whole body felt hot.

It truly resembles a babbling brook, a gentle breeze, soft water, and soft willow catkins.

But he angrily retorted, "Master Secretary, how can you not understand any manners? How can you bring Gang Leader Liu's unmarried woman into my room? Wouldn't that ruin her reputation? Quickly send her back!"

"Absolutely not!" Liu Jie quickly stepped over the threshold. "This Xiao Chun'er just told me that as soon as she saw your face, she felt that you Jade Tree. If she could not serve you, she would regret it for the rest of her life! That's why I'm doing this for you."

"Oh dear, this is really something." Du Wenchang shook his head, the oil and sweat from his neck dripping down. "Gang Leader Liu, you're too kind. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"The position of Patrol Inspector..."

"Gang Leader Liu is really making things difficult for me. Although this Patrol Inspector is only a ninth-rank official, it's not something a small County Magistrate like me can appoint or dismiss! It only counts if the Ministry of Personnel approves."

"Your Excellency misunderstands, it's not me, it's my son! What do you think of him?"

Liu Jie knew early on that he had no hope and could only settle for second best.

"Your son..."

Du Wenchang squinted, as if deep in thought.

Liu Jie had been seeking the position of Patrol Inspector for seven or eight years, but he had always refused to grant it to him.

The reason is simple: Liu Jie is currently rich but powerless, so he is easily manipulated and forced to pay tribute to others every year.

However, this person is quite ambitious. If he obtains an official position of a certain rank and has hundreds of followers, he will be difficult to deal with in the future.

But it's not good to refuse outright either; that's not how business is done.

Du Wenchang kneaded the Hua Dan's soft hands.

"I will recommend them, but whether it works out or not is not up to me."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Also, don't blame me for not warning you. Ping Yang County now has a River Conservancy Office, and the situation on the water is not what it used to be. You know how you got here. Be careful with those little things on the water. If something really happens, don't come looking for me."

It's such a waste to only receive such a small amount of money as a token of respect each year and then wade into such murky waters.

Liu Jie's expression hardened. "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will not disappoint the officials of the River Conservancy Office! I will ensure they return with a full load!"

"Alright, alright, I'm tired after a long day of official business."

"Please rest well, sir."

Liu Jie respectfully withdrew.

Underwater, Fat Catfish leisurely returned from afar, turning left and right, looking quite smug.

Liang Qu could tell what was going on just by looking at its smug expression.

That fat old man is getting more and more arrogant.

"Has it been found?"

The Fat Catfish nodded, pointed to one side with its whiskers, and danced with excitement.

Liang Qu understood and quickly recalled the three beasts. Once everyone was present, they headed in the direction the Fat Catfish had pointed.

One person and three beasts followed behind the Fat Catfish and soon found a narrow wooden house in the reeds.

With no one around, Liang Qu could easily see what was inside the wooden house through the narrow gaps, just as he had initially guessed.

No wonder the Spirit Monster resembled human form.

"Damn it, they assigned me such a huge task, I need a raise! I absolutely need a raise!"

Liang Qu decided to go back and protest to Xu Yuelong.

That's a Level E mission, starting at Level D. It takes three or four days to go back and forth, and you have to earn twenty Minor Merit!

midnight.

Fishermen gradually set out on their boats to fish.

Liang Qu lay in wait underwater, cultivating his skills, while the sound of reeds snapping their leaves on the shore was incessant.

"The fish are here!"