Fleece Them Hard

The wind rustled through the lush green jujube trees.

The Ta Ta Kai its arms like a bow, stretched its waist, and assumed the stance of Ape Fist.

Scarface clasped his hands together, his yellow robe fluttering in the wind.

The murderous aura had frozen time itself, waiting only for a flying leaf to slice through the silence and for claw light to burst forth.

"Click!"

The door was pushed open.

The door hinges creaked like a bell, snapping a taut string. The balanced standoff crumbled, and the two dark figures pushed off the ground simultaneously, whipping up a fierce wind as they clashed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The claws gleamed, and broken hairs flew everywhere.

Liang Qu ran through the covered walkway, past two River Otter.

The East Wing Room was open.

Take a step in.

The Old Monk and Su Guishan were both present, sitting opposite each other at their desks, brewing and sipping tea.

"Master! Uncle!" Liang Qu called out, sitting cross-legged at the table. "What should we do now?"

Judging from their tea-drinking posture, it goes without saying that they know everything perfectly well.

"Don't panic, they're just a few Snake Demon." Su Guishan picked up the teapot and poured Liang Qu a cup. "And you? What are your thoughts? Do you guess what they're here for?"

Liang Qu nodded silently.

Round Head had previously visited Fragrant Township County, where four Snake Demon were said to roam; this was information he knew beforehand.

Fragrant Township County is known for having four Snake Demon, and today's offering of treasures also involves four snake demons.

The other party's identity is becoming increasingly obvious.

However, the behavior of the snakes was truly unexpected, leaving Liang Qu unable to understand their thought process for a moment.

On the way back from the dock, I finally understood some of the key points.

"The leading Red Scale Great Snake said, 'I will return with gifts to present to the Chief Priest.' Today's offering must be aimed at me."

However, I haven't had much interaction with Eastern Snake. The only time was when I went to Fragrant Township County to kill the rebellious Snake Demon. But that incident should have made me an enemy of Eastern Snake, so she shouldn't have sent me a congratulatory gift..."

Su Guishan nodded.

The River God story is only good for fooling the common people; which of the three people present would actually believe it?

The sudden appearance of a group of Snake Demon was no accident.

"Is there any more?" Su Guishan asked, sipping his tea.

"Besides myself, there was another participant in the Fragrant Town snake-slaying incident: White Ape. Since the Snake Demon didn't come looking for me, it must have come looking for it."

"They want to bribe you to find out where the White Ape is?"

Liang Qu considered it carefully and said, "That's roughly it."

The Old Monk spoke up, "They are not avenging the murder of their kind."

Su Guishan echoed, "If you truly came here because of the murder of your kin, you shouldn't have sought out the White Ape alone."

The White Ape's elimination of the scourge was ultimately at your behest.

Even though you are a court official and have received Sacred Emperor's Edict, the Snake Demon should not act rashly and should not send you gifts, even if it is to seek revenge on the White Ape demon.

Is there something unusual about the White Ape itself? Or perhaps it has a deep-seated grudge against the Snake Clan? Was it that the day you dispatched the White Ape that it inadvertently revealed its whereabouts, attracting the Snake Demon's attention?

What the two said was pretty much the truth.

Liang Qu remained silent, offering no denial.

Su Guishan looked up, his eyes flashing.

"I understand. You knew the inside story all along, but the White Ape couldn't defeat the four Snake Demon. You didn't want to expose the White Ape's whereabouts, but you also wanted to get more benefits. However, you couldn't grasp the balance and were worried that the Snake Demon demons would act desperately. That's what you really wanted to ask, right?"

"Uncle has a discerning eye," Liang Qu flattered.

Su Guishan didn't think there was anything wrong with it; it was only natural for humans to eat demons and for demons to eat humans.

"They did not reveal their purpose for this trip, but in any case, they must have other plans to find you later."

They wouldn't let those three Treasure Plant go to waste, and there's no such thing as giving something first and then asking for information.

These three Treasure Plant are now mostly a gift for meeting someone, so..."

After a while.

"Take it then." Su Guishan rested his arms on his knees and leaned back. "Why won't you take it if it's free? Do you have a grudge against Treasure Fish and Treasure Plant? You, White Ape, can't beat it, but with preparation, you can't escape, right? Can't you cooperate with it and put on a show? Split the profits fifty-fifty afterward?"

Liang Qu hesitated.

That was his original idea.

With the talent of Water Movement, one can leap dozens of miles at a time. This could be used to trick the Snake Demon, revealing its location before escaping. One might even be able to use this trick to repeatedly fleece it.

The node is wrong!

Having just held River God Sacrifice and received a great favor, the Flood Dragon, knowing that he had once again lost the Jiang Huai's Favor, would surely send a snake to urge the Snake Demon to find the White Ape.

When they find the Snake Demon and settle accounts, the Flood Dragon discovers that the moment he lost his favor happens to be the time when Liang Qu holds the River God Sacrifice.

The White Ape neither Hidden Water nor came Shang An; it wasn't even there! The Flood Dragon will most likely notice something amiss and switch its search from the White Ape to him!

Liang Qu's true idea was to take advantage of the situation only once, then discard the Snake Demon after they've served their purpose, leaving them all behind so that the Flood Dragon Sect question them without leaving any room for doubt! The problem was that he had to do it all by himself.

It's impossible.

Using a borrowed knife to kill someone, or having the Frog Clan eliminate the snake, is unrealistic.

The Demon Race race has clear borders with different human races. The Snake Demon do not touch the Frog Clan Grounds. They can wander around thousands of miles away without the frogs having any say in it.

The only hope lies with Su Guishan and the Old Monk.

Su Guishan was puzzled upon hearing Liang Qu's request.

"Do you really want to kill them?"

This is a great opportunity that's been handed to us; taking it slow and steady is the right way! Killing them all at once is like draining the pond to catch all the fish.

Liang Qu said helplessly, "It's hard to say, but I have my reasons."

Su Guishan conjured up in his mind a story of irreconcilable hatred between the White Ape and the Snake Demon, to the point that he was so stubborn that he wouldn't even do something like fleecing others.

"It is inconvenient for me to take action. Compared to the snake demon who has not committed any crimes, the Ghost Mother Cult Master is the most important matter. However, you don't need to trouble the master to commit unnecessary killings. I have a plan."

Liang Qu listened attentively. "Please speak, Uncle."

"Marquis Weining, do you remember him?"

"I remember, I remember. At the end of April, the imperial court granted Ning Jiang Prefecture in the south to the Marquis Weining, and invited many talented people to join the cause."

"I have received news that in a few days, the Marquis Weining's fleet, traveling from south to north, will be patrolling the Great Marsh and passing through Pingyang Prefecture."

"This..." Liang Qu understood, his eyes wide with astonishment, "Uncle, what merit do I have to deserve the help of the Martial Saint..."

"Who said it was helping?"

Liang Qu was stunned.

Back at the port, the Distributing Blessings was in full swing.

Xiang Fangsu stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping across the area like that of a hawk.

There were six long lines, with people getting their meat cut and others weighing it. The crowd was so large that it would take at least a few hours to finish.

Someone nearby used a brush dipped in dye to draw a line on the inside of the man's wrist.

Lin Songbao's facial recognition is no longer working.

Previously, there were fewer people, and most of them were from the same hometown, so it wasn't too difficult to remember.

Right now, it's not just Yixing town; the surrounding towns and cities, big and small, have contributed at least half of the population! Tens of thousands of unfamiliar faces, some of whom deliberately made themselves dirty and had messy hair, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and get more meat, making them almost impossible to identify.

Fortunately, Chen Zhaoan was prepared.

A few days in advance, he sent someone to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild to buy a special blue dye. Once it got on his skin, it couldn't be washed off or wiped off; he could only wait for it to fade slowly, and it wouldn't disappear for at least several days.

Those who participate in the sacrifice today will make a mark, and receive the meat based on this mark.

Those who have received the sacrificial meat should make another mark to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.

Liang Qu walked through the crowd and called over the strong young man who was cutting the meat.

"How was the meat divided?"

The young man respectfully said, "According to the old rules you set last year, Master Liang, each person from this village receives three catties, and each elderly person receives an extra six liang. This does not apply to adults or children. People from other villages receive half the amount."

When Xiang Fangsu saw Liang Qu, he jumped down from the high platform and stepped forward.

"Quick, what's going on? Any response yet?"