Can't Hold the Fort!

The true dragon has passed away, Merfolk have migrated? Liang Qu stroked his chin.

"Why do the Merfolk leave when the true dragon dies?"

"No one is there to shelter them."

"No one to shelter them?"

"Mermaid Tear are no ordinary tears; they can only be condensed by great sorrow and pain. When they fall to the ground, they become pearls, which can cure all poisons. Ornaments made from them are worth a thousand gold pieces, and there is often a saying that they are pearl kings."

The Dragon Silk he made was as light and thin as a feather, and it would not get wet when it was submerged in water. These two treasures were coveted by countless people.

When the true dragon was alive, all was well; now that the true dragon is gone, and the Flood Dragon reigns supreme, things are far from peaceful. The Flood Dragon is too busy protecting itself to offer any protection.

Looking at the highly transparent Mermaid Tear in his hand, Liang Qu could roughly understand.

There's a saying that goes something like this: if it's not glass, the more it resembles glass, the more valuable it is.

"Merfolk inherently weak?"

Not entirely.

"Oh?"

"I ask you, are all of you humans Hunting Tiger Martial Artist?"

No.

Liang Qu blurted out.

After saying that, he realized something was wrong. Damn it, he was being led astray by the Old Giant Clam.

"However, Merfolk can produce tears and silk."

"Understood."

Liang Qu suddenly realized.

There are Merfolk, but each Merfolk is exceptionally valuable, so there's no need to focus solely on the strongest.

The priceless Mermaid Tear can only be produced through great sorrow and pain. What is great sorrow and pain?

Watching a few melodramatic films doesn't necessarily constitute a great tragedy or pain.

Merchants would never go to the trouble of raising Merfolk for ten or twenty years just to collect a few Mermaid Tear; they would only treat Merfolk as consumables.

With their people being abducted and used as expendable resources every day, and no fresh blood flowing in, it's like cutting off their lifeline. Naturally, the overall strength of the Merfolk will continue to decline.

The weaker the target, the less effective it is at stopping it, creating a vicious cycle.

When the true dragon was in power, it had absolute dominion over the entire Jiang Huai Great Marsh, and the Demon Court prospered and flourished, naturally protecting the area.

The true dragon is gone...

Although Liang Qu didn't know much, based on the information he had, he felt that it wasn't that the Flood Dragon didn't like to come out, but rather that it could only stay in the Dragon Palace and guard its own little territory.

Just like that Sturgeon Fish Demon in the stream before, with a body sixty meters long, how could it be comfortable to be holed up in a pond that is only a kilometer in size?

The reason is that it has Dragon Bone, and in the bustling city, it holds gold. If it wants to grow steadily, the sturgeon can only shrink back and slowly absorb and develop.

The Flood Dragon is probably in a similar situation, just not as severe as the Sturgeon Fish Demon.

I wonder how much legacy the true dragon left behind in the Dragon Palace that allowed it to lie dormant for so long, never leaving its side? It's too far, too far away.

Liang Qu dismissed the thought; no matter how many treasures remained in the Dragon Palace, they had nothing to do with him now.

The Merfolk tribe, however, might be able to come up with an idea.

"Old Bei, do you still remember where the Merfolk lived back then?"

The Old Giant Clam pondered for a moment.

"Remember."

Liang Qu's eyes lit up. "An old man in the family is a treasure; the old man is still useful!" he exclaimed. "Tell me quickly, where is it?"

"In the past, there were many Merfolk tribes in the Jianghuai Marshlands, which I do not know all of. However, there is a place nearby that, according to you, is called Bloodstone County."

Bloodstone County?

Liang Qu frowned.

Is there a county nearby with this name?

The area under the jurisdiction of Huaiyin Prefecture is already very large, but among all the counties under it, I have never heard of a place called Bloodstone County.

Could it be another prefecture?

Given the Old Giant Clam's walking speed, that can't be called nearby.

Liang Qu memorized the name of Bloodstone County and decided to ask his Master when he went to the Yang Residence to pet the dog that afternoon.

He grew up in the Jianghuai region, so he should know more about it.

"Okay, thanks." Liang Qu patted the Giant Clam shell. "But Old Bei, you've been here for so long, when are you going to change your way of speaking? It's too formal. We're used to speaking in plain language. We need to keep up with the times."

The Old Giant Clam exhaled a series of bubbles.

"I will do my best."

noon.

The Old Monk so engrossed in studying that scripture that he forgot to eat and sleep, and didn't even respond when called for meals.

Liang Qu scratched his head.

The scroll was as thick as an arm, and the paper was tough and thin. It was estimated that when fully unfolded, it would be more than ten meters long. The words on it were small, and the content was enormous. After looking at it for a long time, my eyes would get sore.

How could the Old Monk be so engrossed? "Could it be some lost scripture?"

Liang Qu wasn't into that kind of thing. No matter how profound the scriptures were, they weren't martial arts, so the Cultivation Method were meaningless to him. He cared more about the Buddha sculpture made from the Netherwood Root.

The Buddha sculpture is a seated Buddha with a lotus pedestal underneath.

I wonder if we could saw off the lotus base, process it into smaller pieces, and share it with everyone.

It's a wonderful item that can help with enlightenment. Children who wear it can become even smarter. It would also make a great family heirloom.

"Aunt Zhang, leave it for now. You can help reheat it when the master comes out."

Liang Qu put down his chopsticks and bowl, left a message, and rode up Red Mountain to Ping Yang County.

At noon in late May, the air was thick with muggy heat.

On the path leading to the garden, Liang Qu was in high spirits.

The stone table gleamed, reflecting the silhouettes of willows.

Yang Dongxiong sat in silence, his mind churning with thoughts almost identical to those of the Old Monk.

Although there were signs in the previous four trials, his Innate Martial Bone and the opening of several acupoints... it seems I've taken on an extraordinary disciple? "Woof!"

Black Fang lay dozing under the shade of a tree, while several puppies pounced and wrestled around him.

One of them was quite different from the other puppies. It had a black head, black paws, a black tail, and a black belly, making it a typical "five-black dog." Its puppy fur was still intact and fluffy. It was the most lively, biting the Black Fang tail and refusing to let go, shaking its head and tearing at it from side to side.

Black Fang, impatient with being bitten, swept its big tail, sending the Little Black flying.

The Little Black rolled around on the ground a few times, barked a few times, and then heard footsteps behind it. It turned around, immediately forgot what it was doing, and ran over with its tail wagging.

Liang Qu picked up the Little Black by the scruff of its neck, held it in his arms, stroked its soft fur a couple of times, and continued the previous topic.

"Master, is there a place called Bloodstone County in the Huainan area?"

"Bloodstone County?" Yang Dongxiong snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Liang Qu with surprise. "Where did you get this name from?"

"Master know?"

Liang Qu was overjoyed. Judging from Yang Dongxiong's reaction, he had obviously heard about it.

"Hmm." Yang Dongxiong reached out and patted Black Fang's head. "If you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten this name. Bloodstone County is a name from a long time ago. I was only a teenager back then and hadn't even entered the world of martial arts. Now, it's been renamed Fragrant Township County. It's normal that you don't know it."

Fragrant Township County! Liang Qu is much more familiar with this name than Bloodstone County, because it is located in Huaiyin Prefecture! No wonder Old Giant Clam said it was nearby, but he had never heard of it before. It turns out that it was renamed decades ago.

Why did you change your name?

Liang Qu was puzzled, as the name of a place would not easily change even if dynasties changed.

"It's a long story."

Yang Dongxiong found a flower-covered step and sat down.

"The reason why Bloodstone County was called Bloodstone County in the past was because there was a mountain called Bloodstone Mountain there. The stones dug out from it were blood red and had a strange fragrance. It is said that they were once splashed with dragon blood, which is why they were so magical."

I don't know if it's true or not, but the locals speak of it with certainty. However, the stone is indeed excellent. It's very good for making glaze, pigment, carving, and even as a medicinal Medicinal Guide. Thanks to mining and quarrying, the entire Bloodstone County is very wealthy.

However, simply sitting around and eating away at one's resources will eventually deplete them. Mountains don't just appear out of thin air; as you dig day after day, the Bloodstone Mine will slowly dry up.

It used to be called Bloodstone County, a rather strange name, but it was a prestigious one. Later, the bloodstone resources dried up, and having blood in the name became somewhat unlucky, so it was renamed Fragrant Township County.

Liang Qu suddenly realized.

No wonder they changed their name.

It's just a legend about dragon blood...

He couldn't help but think of the Over Dragon River Ping Yang County, as the two were almost identical in content and form.

I initially explored the river with the mindset of relying on luck, but I never expected to actually find something.

It seems I need to keep an eye out for River Conservancy Office that don't include Fragrant Township County. If possible, I'll take a trip there while I'm at it.

Finding the Merfolk's relics would be incredibly profitable.

However, it will be in a couple of days, as the River God Sacrifice is coming soon.

I'll go to the Martial Arts School and share the good news with my fellow students first!

"Achoo!"

Martial Arts School, Xiang ChangSong instructing his apprentices, sneezed.

Hu Qi turned around in surprise. "Junior brother... did you catch a cold last night?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Xiang ChangSong rubbed his nose, puzzled.