Spring Has Arrived, Can't Hold It Together

When Liang Qu subdued a wild River Dolphin population last year, he obtained many treasures, including a transparent Water Drop Shaped Jewel that contributed more than 2,600 units of Marsh Essence.

The Old Giant Clam, with his vast knowledge, recognized the jewel as Mermaid Tear at a glance, and even said that when the true dragon still existed, there was Merfolk tribe near Bloodstone County.

Therefore, Liang Qu had long coveted the possible Mermaid Ruins.

Unfortunately Bloodstone County is too far away, located in the northernmost part of Huaiyin Prefecture.

With the back-and-forth search and the lack of a specific location, it would take at least half a month to find the answer.

Not wanting to attract too much attention, they could only use the fieldwork assignments of the River Conservancy Office.

Unexpectedly, Liang Qu waited for almost a year but never found an opportunity! Huaiyin Prefecture comprised thirteen counties.

Before its name was changed, Bloodstone County, nestled against Bloodstone Mountain, made a fortune.

In addition, it is close to Huaiyin Prefecture, so even if Bloodstone Mountain is depleted and renamed Fragrant Township County, its foundation will still be there.

Even excluding Huaiyin Prefecture, its martial arts prowess is among the top three in all thirteen counties, with a strong chance of securing second place and aiming for first.

The gap between strong and weak counties can sometimes be bigger than the gap between a person and a dog!

Due to the advantage of agglomeration, the Wolf Smoke Martial Master in Bloodstone County is more than twice that of Hua Zhu County, which did not suffer from the Ghost Mother Sect disaster, which is double the number!

With enough strength, what can't you solve on your own?

Would the River Conservancy Office Bureau interfere and encroach upon its prestige and power? Similarly, anything that can stump Bloodstone County is no ordinary matter.

Li Shoufu's visit this time was not due to any local tyrants in Fragrant Township County harassing the common people; there was only one reason.

The former Bloodstone County, now Fragrant Township County, has been invaded by a giant Snake Demon in its nearby waters!

The giant Snake Demon didn't just happen to pass by; it specifically demanded that the Zhang Clan and Li Family families hand over the offspring it had captured!

Everything matches what the Dragonfolk!

However, the information Li Shoufu possessed was more detailed.

Looking at the Liang Qu side by side, one's mind is as clear as a mirror.

It turns out that in January before the Lunar New Year, during the dead of winter, Snake Monster had already appeared in the waters near Fragrant Township County, causing damage to the Zhang Clan's fishpond and two large boats.

Upon learning the news, the Zhang Clan didn't waste any words and dispatched two Wolf Smoke Expert to kill the Snake Monster.

Unexpectedly, the underwater ambush failed, and the Snake Monster escaped wounded.

They thought the matter was over, but a few days later, the Snake Monster found a helper—an even stronger Snake Monster.

The two snakes joined forces to take revenge!

Underwater is not Martial Master arena.

The Zhang Clan was no match for them, but they were unwilling to accept defeat. They offered them great rewards and, together with the Li Family in the county, set a trap to deal with them. In the end, Die One.

Kill one, arrest one.

On the third day, as the captured Snake Monster was being tortured, the Snake Demon arrived.

It's like they keep hitting the small fry and then the big ones come, one after another.

Compared to the two smaller ones, the Snake Demon was quite clever and did not rashly take revenge. It only wanted the Zhang Clan to hand over their surviving offspring.

Once it's handed over, the matter will be dropped.

Even the dead one no longer held a grudge, which shows remarkable emotional restraint.

However, things often turn out unexpectedly.

The Zhang Clan's choice is: not to pay!

Not only did they refuse to hand it over, they also killed the Snake Demon's last offspring on the spot!

The snake's head rolled into the Great Marsh, oozing red blood.

The head of the Zhang Clan family made a bold statement.

In the territory of Da Shun, who gives you, a Snake Demon, the right to boss people around? Come Shang An if you dare!

That concludes the discussion.

Enraged, the Snake Demon completely took over the shore near Fragrant Township County.

Merchant ships and fishing boats are not allowed to leave.

The Zhang Clan is not afraid at all.

Even if we can't beat them, we can't lose our fighting spirit.

Aside from merchant ships, the Zhang Clan owned most of the waterborne businesses.

The locals dragged all their fishing boats Shang An and "bought them out" for ten coins a day, paying them for each day they stayed.

In short, it's about one attitude.

Let's see who can outlast whom!

It's dragged on until today...

Liang Qu calculated carefully.

The incident occurred in January, followed by a protracted and unsettling half-month period, during which Spring Festival standoff began.

In other words, the conflict between the Zhang Clan and the Snake Demon has been going on for almost three months since before the Lunar New Year...

Liang Qu knew that the people of Fragrant Township County were known for their fierce and unruly nature.

Fragrant Township County's prosperity was built on Bloodstone Mountain, but Bloodstone Mountain is now depleted.

When resources are limited and becoming increasingly scarce, a widespread competition for resources will naturally arise.

Melee.

Gang fights!

Especially in areas with abundant water systems, the clan atmosphere is relatively strong, and local organization is very strong.

I never expected him to be this fierce!

They spent an entire winter, paying such a high price, to wear down the Snake Demon who dared not Shang An.

In fact, Li Shoufu was just as surprised as Liang Qu when he saw the briefing.

It can only be said that every place has its own customs.

"Why did the Zhang Clan family, with such a tough stance, come to the River Conservancy Office for help today?"

"It wasn't the Zhang Clan who asked for help; it was Liu Shiqin, the County Magistrate of Fragrant Township County, who asked for help!" Li Shoufu explained with a bow.

Liang Qu closed the book. "That's even stranger. Shouldn't the County Magistrate of Fragrant Township County have known about this long ago? Why didn't he come earlier or later..."

Li Shoufu pointed to the jujube tree in the courtyard.

On the slanted branches of the jujube tree, tiny green buds swayed.

"Lord Liang, spring has arrived."

The money the Zhang Clan paid to the fishermen hadn't increased at all.

Liang Qu had been a fisherman before. After a moment's thought, he understood.

In winter, the fish catch is pitifully small, and fishermen cannot go out to fish. The Zhang Clan buys out a boatload of fish for ten copper coins a day. Even if they don't make much money, they get it for free, and they can get it while lying at home.

But it's spring now!

The fish catch is gradually increasing.

The daily sailing fee was far more than ten copper coins, but the Zhang Clan refused to raise the price, which gradually fueled public resentment.

The Zhang Clan themselves probably weren't feeling too good either.

County Magistrate Liu Shiqin was worried that if the stalemate continued, something serious would happen.

"Is the County Magistrate of Fragrant Township County a sensible person?"

Li Shoufu smiled and said, "At the end of last year, County Magistrate Liu's performance was quite good. If he continues to maintain this level this year and handles things properly, he has a chance of being promoted. He certainly doesn't want any chaos to occur under his jurisdiction."

Liang Qu nodded. "What did the institute say?"

"No decision has been made yet. The officials all feel that this is a difficult problem to solve."

"What about Huaiyin Prefecture? Fragrant Township County is very close to Huaiyin Prefecture, isn't it?"

"Well, the Huaiyin Prefecture said that matters concerning the waterways should be handled by the River Conservancy Office, and they don't have the capacity to manage them..."

"Understood."

It's April now, less than two months before the summer planting season.

In other words, Huaiyin Prefecture will be changed to Huaiyin County within two months. Why waste time and energy dealing with a Water Demon?

Moreover, the Snake Demon demon was quite cunning.

The dispute lies underwater.

Shang An is an invasion.

If there's an intrusion, then there's something to discuss.

The fact that the Snake Demon is now coiled in the water proves that it knows who the king and queen are.

Underwater warfare and land warfare are completely different things.

The Snake Demon is a demon, and its strength is equivalent to that of Hunting Tiger Great Martial Master. Not to mention that it is amplified when placed in water.

The hatred has escalated to such an extent that it's a fight to the death. We absolutely cannot let the other escape. If we fail to kill them, it will provoke the Snake Demon's furious revenge, which would be far worse! This would increase the difficulty even further.

To completely lock down the underwater position and prevent the Snake Demon from escaping, at least three Great Martial Master of the same level are needed.

Therefore, the Huaiyin Prefecture had only one attitude—"What's it to me!" As for the River Conservancy Office...

On the surface, there are enough Great Martial Master in the sect, but if Wei Lin and Xu Yuelong want to cooperate on matters outside the Ghost Mother Sect, it's better to hope that the Snake Demon will retreat on its own.

The Snake Demon's refusal to Shang An prevented it from causing any major disaster, but instead led to a stalemate in the entire incident.

A landmine that's fine if it doesn't move, but will explode if it does.

"What a coincidence."

Liang Qu handed over the booklet.

"Please trouble Secretary Li to make a trip and tell him that I, Liang, might be worth a try!"