Self-Destruct?

The next morning.

The fourth day after the breach of the Lord Qiu's Dyke.

The heavy rain that had lasted for days finally dissipated, leaving the sky a gray expanse with fine, downy raindrops.

Yu Dayi was exhausted and looked around.

More than 90% of the space on the ships in the entire fleet was filled with disaster victims.

The small fishing boats surrounding the large ship were also filled with women and children. The water was very deep, and there was a risk of capsizing if one was not careful.

Yu Dayi was experiencing severe throbbing pain in his Lord Qiu's Dyke, and figuring out how to repair it was a major problem. He was having a terrible headache.

If I had worked hard and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), I could have joined the Tiger Class and wouldn't be in Hua Zhu County now.

Jinshi (进士) degree holder, Jinshi graduate, Tong Jinshi graduate.

The three sound similar, but they are vastly different.

Not to mention being a first-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he was a Jinshi among Jinshi.

The second-class Jinshi graduates enjoyed many more privileges than the third-class Tongjinshi graduates.

The most crucial advantage is the ability to prioritize one's place of work and position, and to be given priority when official positions are "scarce," a system commonly known as the "Tiger Class."

Unfortunately, Yu Dayi was only a third-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), so he was just whatever he was given and had no choice at all.

In a moment of regret, a raft drifted ashore from the vast ocean.

All his men were sent out to scout the disaster area. Wei Shao on the raft. When he saw the fleet, he rolled up his hem, leaped into the water, and started running on the water! Last night, a master came who killed Fish Monster with one blow. Today, another master who can run on water has arrived.

Witnessing this, the locals stood up from their fishing boats, prompting the boatman to curse them.

"Sit down! Sit down! Stop shaking!"

"Sit down, everyone! Sit down!"

"Hey! Move again! Or I'll slap you down!"

Yu Dayi- informed and experienced, was not surprised. After the newcomer boarded the ship, he glanced at the Waist Token.

"I thought the arrival Temporal Sequence of the people from the River Conservancy Office would be similar, but I didn't expect Lord Wei to be much slower."

"Did someone else arrive before me?"

Wei Shao frowned. He knew that the person who came from Xu Yuelong's side was Liang Qu, and he found it hard to accept that he had lost again.

"It's not just early, we arrived before midnight, and now..." Yu Dayi looked up at the sky, "It's probably already past Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

That's at least five hours...

Wei Shao frowned.

He set off immediately upon receiving the order. Although the horse he rode was not as good as the Dragon Blood Horse, it was not an ordinary horse either. He rode in turns, and even if he was slow, he should not have been half a day late.

Wei Shao just found the County Magistrate.

Liang Qu has already arrived at the headquarters of the Sand River Gang — Sand River Mountain.

Red Mountain strode forward, while Lu Xinqing swung his legs, chasing after him like a dead dog, his saliva sticking together like glue.

The scouts in the stronghold saw the fiery horse from afar and knew that the newcomer was no ordinary person, especially since his official robes were very similar to the two guys who had come to their door last time!

The scouts immediately went into the village to report the news.

In a small wooden cabin behind Sand River Mountain, Cheng Chong meditated and circulated his internal energy amidst the rising Spirit Concentration Incense.

A knock came at the door, Lian Jingye, a member of the gang, whispered outside, "Gang Leader! The government officials are here again! Judging from their uniforms, they should still be from the River Conservancy Office!"

There was no response from inside the cabin.

Just as Lian Jingye thought the Gang Leader hadn't heard him, he reached up with his knuckles to touch the door panel.

"Knew."

Lian Jingye Qu Song his joints, hesitating repeatedly. "What do they want to do? They probably want to borrow the boat."

"Do what needs to be done."

Do what you should do? Lian Jingye lowered his head and pondered.

On the surface, it seems that there is Blood Sea between the Sand River Gang and the River Conservancy Office.

Retaliation is out of the question, as the other party is an official, but we should never have allowed them to borrow the boat.

The reality, however, was quite different from what everyone expected.

The Sand River Gang originally had three Gang Leader and countless followers.

When there are many people, factions will inevitably emerge.

As a rising star, the Third Gang Leader is powerful and capable. Under his leadership, the Sand River Gang has continuously cleansed its name and grown stronger.

The calls from the gang members for the leader to step down and hand over the reins to a more Gang Leader were growing louder, and the internal conflicts had long since reached an irreconcilable point.

Just then, the River Conservancy Office arrived!

The first and second Gang Leader Gang Leader were beheaded on the spot, without causing a ripple.

Because the Black Water River waterway transportation is inseparable from the Sand River Gang, three Gang Leader who are relatively legitimate in public are left behind.

Of course, it was precisely because of the conflict between the Third Gang Leader and the First and Second Gang Leader Gang Leader the River Conservancy Office would not have deliberately left the Third Gang Leader behind, thus planting a time bomb for themselves.

The emergence of the River Conservancy Office unexpectedly helped the three Gang Leader leaders resolve the moral issue of their rise to power.

Once the three Gang Leader took over, the supporters of the other two Gang Leader naturally either died or scattered. The remaining high-ranking gang members were able to rise to power entirely thanks to the "purge" carried out by the River Conservancy Office.

Instead of resentment, they felt a unique kind of gratitude.

Without the River Conservancy Office, at least another year and a half will be wasted.

Of course, we cannot present ourselves like this to outsiders.

The plaque of loyalty and righteousness hangs in the hall, while the bodies Gang Leader the first and second Gang Leader are still warm.

Therefore, Yu Dayi came to borrow the boat, Cheng Chong explicitly refused.

For some reason, the people from the River Conservancy Office are now acting like they're doing official business.

Fear? That's not like the Third Gang Leader.

Lian Jingye couldn't understand it, he accepted the order and left.

The back hill fell silent.

"River Conservancy Office..."

Cheng Chong opened his eyes, remained silent for a long time, and then sighed softly.

What's meant to happen will happen.

On the mountain steps.

Liang Qu carried a bow and a spear.

Lu Xinqing followed closely behind, looking around.

He had run errands for the Sand River Gang, but that was almost twenty years ago. He was just an eleven or twelve-year-old kid who wasn't qualified to go up the mountain, let alone "drink tea" there.

This is truly the first time a young woman has ever ridden in a bridal sedan chair.

After the initial excitement wore off, Lu Xinqing couldn't help but let his mind wander.

When Liang Qu met with Instructor Chai Shiqiao, he lagged behind and chased after them, not hearing their names. Later, when he met County Magistrate Yu, he learned that Liang Qu's surname was Liang.

Upon arriving at the Sand River Gang, a thread suddenly clicked in Lu Xinqing's mind.

The Sand River Gang declined, supposedly because its Gang Leader took a concubine, forcibly taking the love of a young man surnamed Liang.

The young man before me was young, yet held a seventh-rank official position and possessed considerable strength; he also shared the surname Liang...

Hiss! No wonder Liang Qu rejected it outright! I understand now! He understands everything! So that's who the person in question is!

But how beautiful must the concubine be to warrant such a dramatic change for the Sand River Gang?

Beauty can be a curse!

Lu Xinqing felt that the concubine must be a hundred times prettier than the one in Huanghua Village who cost five taels of silver! Suddenly uncovering the secret of Liang Qu, Lu Xinqing felt an indescribable sense of secret pleasure and joy.

He straightened his back and looked up into the distance.

Sand River Mountain, oh Sand River Mountain, there is a Sand River Gang on the mountain.

Sand River Gang, Sand River Gang, we're going to... Sand River Gang?

Wait, the Sand River Gang?

Wasn't that a mortal enemy? Lu Xinqing shuddered as he recalled his situation, cold sweat pouring down his back.

"River Transport Teahouse, that's a nice name."

Liang Qu climbed halfway up the mountain, looked up at the plaque, and glanced at Lu Xinqing was covered in cold sweat.

From the moment he started climbing the mountain, his Ear Consciousness Method was constantly in use, and what he heard most often was Lu Xinqing behind him.

Nervousness, excitement, ecstasy, and then fear... My inner monologue is incredibly rich; I have no idea what I'm thinking.

Ignoring him, Liang Qu strode into the teahouse.

A tidal wave of noise surged forth.

The entire front hall truly resembled a teahouse, with two floors.

Most of the upper-class people were having morning tea and chatting.

The lower level was mostly used for playing cards and gambling. Some people played mahjong, others played Diao Pai, and three gang members Standing Post in the corner of the flower bed.

However, upon closer examination, one can discover that each individual within possesses considerable strength, at least at the third level or higher!

The Sand River Gang didn't seem to be bothered by Liang Qu's arrival. However, as soon as Liang Qu stepped over a few tea tables, he immediately felt countless eyes on his back.

Liang Qu remained calm and composed, striding across the front hall and heading straight to the central hall, where the Gathering Righteousness Building, bearing the plaque of Juyi, was located.

Lu Xinqing stared intently at Liang Qu's heels, following closely behind without daring to turn around. His lips were pale, his back itched, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

Three plaques hang directly in front of the main hall.

On the left, on a white background, is written the words "Upright and honorable".

On the right side, with a yellow background, is written "Righteousness Forever".

In the middle, on a red background, are written the words "Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher".

However, the memorial tablets under the three plaques are for the leaders of the Shahe Gang throughout history.

Eyes from upstairs and downstairs converged, intently watching the two's every move.

Liang Qu pretended not to see it, found a seat in the middle of the hall, put down Fubo and Chang Gong.

Lu Xinqing looked completely bewildered and hurriedly whispered a reminder: "Sir, please offer incense, please offer incense!"

Liang Qu ignored him, reached into his pocket, tossed down a few copper coins, and waited for the waiter to serve tea.

You're welcome!

In an instant, the entire foyer and hall suddenly changed from absolute clamor to absolute silence, a silence that chilled and unsettled people.

Dust settled on Lu Xinqing's slumped shoulders. He trembled as he bowed to the memorial tablet and stood aside.

The tea server had never seen such a display before, and glanced at Lian Jingye in the corner.

Lian Jingye quietly nodded.

"Guest, your tea is here!"

The waiter tossed on a white cloth, picked up the teapot, and served tea.

White mist rises, and the aroma of tea fills the air; it is indeed good tea.

Liang Qu smelled the tea, didn't detect the waiter's guilty conscience, lifted the lid, and drank it in front of everyone.

After traveling all day, I was really thirsty.

"No, you can't drink it!"

Lu Xinqing's breath hitched, sweat poured down his forehead, his whole body trembled like a leaf, and he buried his head like a quail.

According to the rules, not offering incense as the first step is already a concession, and the second step is...

You said you understood last night, but what happened?

Lu Xinqing screamed inwardly.

Several high-ranking Sand River Gang frowned.

To disrespect someone twice in a row is simply too arrogant.

Who exactly is asking for help? Seeing the higher-ups frown, the gang members having morning tea on the second floor of the front hall quietly stood up, and the gang members below also unconsciously leaned against the pillars.

More and more members of the gang appeared from all directions, subtly surrounding Gathering Righteousness Building.

All eyes converged on him, their weight pressing down on Lu Xinqing's fragile back, making him feel lower and lower.

Liang Qu put down his teacup.

"Old Lu."

Lu Xinqing lowered his head to count the ants.

"Old Lu!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Lu Xinqing almost jumped up from his seat. "What... what can I do for you, sir?"

"Why do some people like to use slang and go through all that roundabout stuff?"

Slang is jargon.

Lu Xinqing felt there was a trap inside and really didn't want to jump in, but he had no choice but to.

"I... I don't know."

"Because those people need these openings to compensate for their lack of status."

Lu Xinqing was taken aback.

"To put it bluntly, the less you are, the more you like to use slang." Liang Qu took a sip of tea. "In this way, you can build a high wall around the lousy circle you're in, making people outside the wall envious."

Bang! The teacup shattered into pieces against the stone curtain.

Lian Jingye was furious.

"Sir, you've gone too far!"

These words truly struck a nerve with the Sand River Gang, rendering their proud way of speaking utterly worthless. How could the people present not be furious?

"The River Conservancy Office have gone too far in bullying us!"

"What an arrogant official!"

"Get out of Sand River Mountain!"

"We don't have a boat to lend you!"

"That sounds reasonable, but sir, please don't make things difficult for the members of my Sand River Gang."

His voice wasn't loud, and even sounded old, but it instantly drowned out the noise in the Gathering Righteousness Building.

Lian Jingye and the others stood up one after another.

"Boss!"

"Gang Leader!"

"Gang Leader!"

Amidst a series of respectful greetings, Cheng Chong carried a memorial tablet and slowly walked out of the corridor.

Liang Qu looked him up and down. "Are you the leader of the Shahe Gang?"

Cheng Chong remained calm.

"That's right, I am the leader of the Shahe Gang and the one who destroyed the Qiugong Embankment."

"Sir, you must have searched for a long time, right?"

Silence reigned.

These words were spoken.

Not only Liang Qu, but even Sand River Gang's own people were stunned.