Big Move
"Netherwood Root?"
Yang Dongxiong examined the amber-colored Lotus Leaf with golden patterns in his hand. He held it up to the sunlight, and the golden patterns shone brightly.
"It's in excellent condition, quite a rare item, but why is it Lotus Leaf?"
"I was separated from a lotus flower, hence this shape." Liang Qu took out two more pieces from his bosom. "The other two pieces are for my Master's Wife and eldest brother. Please pass them on, Master."
Yang Dongxiong nodded, took the leaf, looked at Liang Qu again, stroked his beard and asked with a smile, "Did you scoop those lotus flowers out of the water again?"
Liang Qu grinned.
"You can go into the water without any problems these days, but after six days, you should avoid going out and try to stay at home."
"Bing Fire Day?"
On Bing Fire Day, all things are restless and Demon Beast often appear. It is precisely because of this that the beaver family came to the house for refuge.
Liang Qu's Fate Standard is associated with water, which brings many fortuitous opportunity, but fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and it also signifies crisis.
A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall; Bing Fire Day is in a turbulent time, so it is best to stay away.
Unexpectedly, Yang Dongxiong shook his head.
"That's not the case. Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. Being timid and hesitant will only cause you to miss opportunities."
I told you not to wander off because the River Conservancy Office and the Demon Subduing Division might be planning something big soon. You need to train diligently and not slack off.
Big move? Liang Qu wanted to know the details, but Yang Dongxiong wouldn't elaborate.
Chaos arises from language.
If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if secrets are not kept, disaster will result.
As the head of the River Conservancy Office Demon Subduing Division, even though it was a sinecure, Yang Dongxiong's power was undeniable, and he knew everything he needed to know, but that was all he could reveal.
Liang Qu did not ask any further questions.
Master won't harm him rashly. Staying at home is fine, it doesn't really matter.
"Regarding this matter, my wife..."
Liang Qu was referring to the Old Monk. Before catching Oolong, he had told Yang Dongxiong about Perfected Elephant Grandmaster coming to this place to find the Heretical Monk.
Yang Dongxiong pondered for a while, then nodded slightly.
Liang Qu understood.
After visiting the Yang Residence, Liang Qu went to other places in Ping Yang County, delivering a portion of Netherwood Root to each of his fellow disciples. Only when he arrived at the residence of his fellow disciple Lu Gang did he ask for a few extra portions of metal ore.
"Senior brother, how much are these four pieces worth?"
Liang Qu showed Lu Gang the few pieces of ore he had selected, but Lu Gang glanced at them and waved them away.
"Take it; it's not worth your Netherwood Root."
"It would be better if you told me, senior brother. Just because it's not worth it now doesn't mean it won't be worth it in the future."
What do you mean?
"From now on, I may have to come here every month to ask for a few pieces of ore. Little by little, it will add up and eventually become worthwhile."
The value of the Netherwood is equivalent to that of gold. The palm-sized leaf that Liang Qu gave him weighed just over two ounces, and it was still one of the larger leaves among all the leaves.
Even if the Netherwood Root were increased tenfold, it would only be worth twenty taels of gold, equivalent to more than two hundred taels of silver.
Liang Qu wasn't stingy; the ore he picked out for the beavers was of decent quality, probably worth over a hundred.
Upon hearing this, Lu Gang put down his hammer. "Junior Brother Liang wants to learn how to be a blacksmith? This amount of weight is not enough for you. At most, you can make a dagger."
"How could I dare to compete with Senior Brother Lu for business? I'd starve to death. It has other uses though. I've been raising a few little creatures that eat minerals."
"Eat ore?"
Lu Gang wasn't surprised; there were plenty of strange and unusual creatures in the world. He just told Liang Qu not to let his playthings distract him from his studies.
"We'll settle it next time. You can keep these pieces; the ore is unrefined and not very valuable."
"Thank you, senior brother."
After thinking it over, Liang Qu decided not to refuse any longer.
After leaving the Lu Residence, Liang Qu went to the River Conservancy Office and handed over the remaining dozen or so pieces to Ran Zhongshi, asking him to help deliver them.
When he was about to leave, Ran Zhongshi said the same thing to him.
His words were even more ambiguous than Yang Dongxiong's, only telling him not to wander around and saying nothing else, and instructing him to keep it a secret.
Liang Qu readily agreed, but as he left Ran Zhongshi's study, he made a point of glancing at the Records Room on the second floor.
Li Shoufu and Huang Pingchang were at their desks registering.
The River Earl and the River Chief accepted their tasks as usual, just like any other day.
Obviously, not everyone has connections or knows special information in advance.
Don't underestimate the warnings given by Ran Zhongshi and Yang Dongxiong a few days in advance.
If you don't practice for a day, you'll know it; if you don't practice for two days, your opponent will know it.
Even last-minute preparation can be effective.
Many times, without connections or understanding of what's important, one becomes cannon fodder without even realizing it.
Liang Qu felt a pang of emotion, but he wouldn't cause any trouble. He just kept wondering what kind of big move it was.
The fundamental purpose of changing Ping Yang Town into a county was to establish a "Northern Court Protectorate". However, while the Northern Court Protectorate, Ping Yang County, and even the future Pingyang Prefecture, was for defending against the remnants of the Great Qian Dynasty.
The only person worthy of being joined forces with the River Conservancy Office and the Demon Subduing Division is a remnant of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Even a dead tiger cannot be put down.
Rumor has it that among those who fled to the Great Marsh, Perfected Elephant Grandmaster numbered only a handful.
What a massive force it was! Even though many had perished in the days of fighting Duke Xu, and several had died of old age in the past sixty years, it was still foreseeable that many masters were still clinging to life.
I wonder what kind of remnants they are that require the joint efforts of the River Conservancy Office and the Demon Subduing Division to subdue them?
A typical Hunting Tiger wouldn't warrant such a large-scale operation, even with five hunters against one. Could it be...?
Liang Qu shivered.
Two from the Demon Subduing Division, two from the River Conservancy Office, even including his Master, that's only five Hunting Tiger. Can they handle True Image? Or is there some powerful figure from Ping Yang County that he doesn't know about?
Liang Qu returned home with these thoughts in mind and immediately went to see the Old Monk.
"Master, the River Conservancy Office and the Demon Subduing Division may be about to take action against the remnants of the Perfected Elephant the Great Qian!"
The Old Monk licked the ink dry, put down his mixed-hair brush, and quietly looked at Liang Qu.
"What's the problem?"
"Ah... no problem?"
The Old Monk gestured for him to enter.
When Liang Qu came to his senses, he had already left the West Wing and entered the courtyard.
?
Liang Qu fell into deep thought, wondering what he had come to see the Old Monk for.
Oh, they found someone to cover for them.
Currently, apart from him, the Daoist priest of Louguan Platform, and his Master, probably no one knows that there is a master True Image Can hidden in Ping Yang County.
The Old Monk was also the strongest fighter Liang Qu knew so far. Even with his Dantian broken, he was still far superior to ordinary Hunting Tiger.
In case something unexpected happens, at least there will be someone who seems to be able to cover for you.
Have I achieved my goal?
Liang Qu looked back at the closed West Wing wing room, and while doing so, he communicated with the Fat Catfish and other beasts through the Mental Link, telling them and the finless River Dolphin to stay away from the pond and not to be mistaken for wild Spirit Monster and killed.
Yang Dongxiong said that it wouldn't matter if he wandered around six days ago, but Liang Qu firmly chose to stay at home, not go anywhere, and diligently practice martial arts.
He vowed to learn the "Ear Consciousness Method" before any major action came, or at least to master the Thunder Step.
Five days later.
Quiet Room.
Liang Qu lowered his eyelids slightly, amplifying his hearing to listen to the sounds around him.
But what he wants to hear is not the sound, but the state.
They spread over the walls, across the courtyard, tiny insects and ants crawled out of the ground, butterflies fluttered and swirled, and beavers clung to trees and gnawed at them.
Each sound is like a point of knowledge, broken down and refined, vividly presented on paper.
Vitality, stillness, exhaustion, decline.
The small courtyard alone gave him many completely different feelings, making him feel exceptionally novel.
The sound reached the West Wing, Liang Qu heard the sound of a brush rubbing against the pages of a book. Before he could listen carefully, the entire West Wing fell into a deathly silence.
There was no sound at all.
A huge black hole suddenly appeared in the entire three-courtyard complex, and all the light flowed into it.
Liang Qu tacitly shifted his hearing to other areas, but he no longer experienced the same sensation as before; instead, the sounds of friction returned.
My skills are not yet fully developed.
It works sometimes and doesn't work sometimes.