Harsh and Ungrateful!

(Splash~ The light rain washes away the Scarlet Scale, turning them into white streams that flow into the Great Marsh.)

Water Mist over the world.

Scarlet Scale stared at the red-clad figure at the bow of the ship, as if he saw a roc with its body engulfed in flames spreading its wings that blotted out the sun, its eyes fixed on him menacingly.

My gaze drifted downwards, and there was another person alone in a small boat, casting a fishing rod.

a long time.

Scarlet Scale turned and left, disappearing into the horizon.

The tense standoff collapsed.

Xu Yuelong put away his fishing rod.

Wei Lin jumped off the bow of the ship.

deck.

Wei Shao stepped forward quickly. "Sir, we have retrieved one Snake Demon and three Snake Monster. Snake Demon snake demon is about the middle level of the Demon Realm. Apart from the fact that its gall bladder was taken away, its head and the middle of its body were severely injured, but the rest of it is mostly intact."

Where is the examiner?

A middle-aged man with a goatee strode onto the ship and explained the results of the medical examination.

"The snake-killer first launched a sneak attack with about three Exploding Spear, then seemingly used a club-like weapon to inflict severe injuries, before engaging the Snake Demon in close combat, brutally killing it with his bare fists! Judging from the proportions of the wounds, the attacker's hands were extremely large, unlike human hands, and should be..."

Wei Shao urged, "What should be done? Tell me quickly!"

"It should be an ape demon..."

Ape Demon!

The people present immediately understood.

When it comes to the aquatic ape demons with a recent history, the only one that comes to mind is Liang Water Envoy, the most sought-after official in the River Conservancy Office.

Xu Yuelong is a staunch supporter of the faction; no wonder the examiner hesitated.

Wei Shao looked at Wei Lin, his thoughts unreadable.

Last year, Liang Qu tricked him into revealing a martial arts technique, which he held a grudge against. However, after the dam collapse, his resentment dissipated considerably.

I still dislike them, but it's not as bad anymore. I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, they would be almost my equals...

"White Ape..." Wei Lin sneered, "What a hardworking and dutiful dog! Instead of living the life of a demon, it insists on getting entangled with humans! Does it perhaps want His Your Majesty to appoint it as a river official?"

No one dared to respond.

Another person muttered to himself, "Three Exploding Spear... it's too extravagant to use them against a Snake Demon. However, Exploding Spear are ineffective and consume too much energy, so they've long been obsolete. They're only kept in certain places. Where would we get a Demon Beast? That kid surnamed Liang probably can't get one, right?"

Wei Shao lowered his head and said, "Jiazi Year, our dynasty and the Great Qian Jiang Huai Great Marsh, resulting in the sinking of many ships."

Some were salvaged Shang An, while others disappeared, presumably collected by the aquatic Demon Beast for their own use; the White Ape may have been one of them.

"No wonder..."

"Huff, huff!"

Liang Qu grabbed the snake's gall bladder, surfaced, gasped for breath, and felt utterly exhausted.

a long time.

The fastest swimmer, Round Head, arrived in a flash, carrying Ta Ta Kai in its mouth.

The Ta Ta Kai's neck was bitten, its body bent, its tail held straight up, and it held tightly to the Abysswood Longbow and the Dragon Spirit Silk.

Upon seeing Liang Qu, he released his grip.

Dragon Spirit Silk Scroll.

Liang Qu put on his clothes, sat cross-legged on the top of his Round Head to meditate and recover his energy.

Awei sent word that the Snake Demon had returned to its lair.

After that, Fat Catfish, with its Fist dragging the "Cannot Move" that was exhausted from weaving the Divine Wood Brand, circled around. Long Binglin, who was not connected, followed by Long E Ying. The two of them searched for a long time in the agreed direction.

"Grown ups?"

"It's alright, let's go back first!"

Liang Qu waved his hand and tossed out the snake gall.

Long Binglin caught the dark green snake gall, deeply shocked. He quickly composed himself and dared not delay for even a moment.

The group walked across the pond and returned to the courtyard.

Night falls.

The rain continued to drizzle without stopping.

The candlelight shining through the window was reflected in the stone slabs of the courtyard.

Long Binglin and Long E Ying were invited and stayed overnight as usual.

It's close to the Xu Time).

Chen Jiechang, wearing a straw hat and a raincoat, retrieved two documents from the River Conservancy Office.

It was Ran Zhongshi who drafted the "Support Request Letter," which was stamped with his own Official Seal, and there were also Xiang Fangsu from Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin next to it.

To prevent the Snake Clan from launching an attack, it's not enough for Liang Qu to petition alone; that would seem too deliberate. A few others need to be dragged into it as well.

The Snake Gall Wine wasn't a waste of money.

If you cultivate good relationships on a regular basis, you can get several people's Official Seal seals stamped without much effort.

After reviewing the documents and confirming that everything was in order, Liang Qu affixed his Official Seal Hengshui Envoy, made two copies, and handed them to Dragonfolk.

Long Binglin kept it close to his body, not daring to be careless.

Liang Qu looked out at the sky; the moon was hazy through the dark clouds, and it was almost midnight.

"Of the five hundred Dragonfolk... fifty will remain to go to Feng Bu County to support Long Pingjiang and inspect the Long Pinghe. The remaining four hundred or so can return first."

The army was stationed in the forest, where birds hovered constantly, and the same was true in the water. Five hundred Dragonfolk, though not many, were active in the Shallow Water Area, which would affect the fishermen's catch and livelihoods—a bad omen.

Long Binglin hesitated. "Your Excellency is benevolent. But what if the Flood Dragon Sect has other spies who are not traveling with the Purple Scale Great Snake? Wouldn't it be disastrous to withdraw now? Aren't you trying to prevent the two sides from meeting?"

"The Purple Scale arrived before noon, and it's almost midnight now. That's a whole day's difference. If there were other Snake Demon, even if they weren't on the same route, they should have arrived by now." Liang Qu shook his head. "Besides, I don't need to hide it from it for Tianchang. A delay of just Yaori Period will be enough. Someone will deal with the Red Serpent, and everything will be fine by then."

Long E Ying's eyes darted around. "The death of the Snake Demon is no small matter. What if the Red Serpents sense something is wrong and send the snakes back to report?"

Liang Qu grinned.

"It wouldn't dare!"

"You dare not?"

"What do you two think of the Flood Dragon?"

Long Binglin and Long E Ying without hesitation.

"He is harsh and ungrateful, and is only subdued by force!"

"The messenger died in battle, and the rewards were given, but the White Ape was not captured, and no merit was gained. Would it dare to go back?"

Long Binglin and Long E Ying seemed to be deep in thought.

"That's one thing. Secondly... how should it get back? A Snake Demon? It's no match for the White Ape and would most likely be ambushed and killed on the way."

If two are left, what will become of the remaining two? Can two capture the White Ape? It's not very meaningful. Therefore, the red serpent only has the choice of returning entirely or not returning at all! The Flood Dragon is cruel and ungrateful; if Die One, it must grit its teeth and stay!

Liang Qu could see it.

Scarlet Scale is a clever snake.

Those who know how to differentiate and utilize are extremely rare.

However, cleverness often benefits oneself, and one tends to choose the approach that maximizes one's own interests.

If a mindless, Flood Dragon loyalist were replaced, this matter would be much more difficult to handle.

"The wisdom of an adult."

Long Binglin and Long E Ying were no longer confused and took their leave.

midnight.

Fifty of the five hundred Dragonfolk went to Feng Bu County to search for the Long Pingjiang and the Long Pinghe.

The other four hundred or so people returned to their tribe's territory, but instead of taking the Vortex Waterway, they chose to swim back.

If it weren't for the urgency, I wouldn't want to use that passage even with a 20% discount.

After issuing the command.

Long Binglin and Long E Ying returned to the Liang Residence.

The Elder instructed them that their mission was not only to lead the Dragonfolk, but also to ensure the safety of Liang Qu. The two would not return until the matter was resolved.

garden.

The Lotus Leaf.

Long Binglin picked up a bucket of cold water and poured it over his head.

To deal with the Snake Demon and prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Long Binglin and Long E Ying always Qi Concealment and secretly protected her.

Liang Qu's transformation today, just like the brothers Pingjiang and Ping He, was completely undisguised.

Despite Long Zongyin's repeated insistence that he was not the Dragon Lord and that he had seen it with his own eyes, he was still inevitably disappointed.

Then I looked around.

In its sleep, the Ta Ta Kai a pose resembling Ape Fist, gripping its paws, muttering under its breath, and baring its teeth.

The Great Beaver hugged half a piece of Wooden Head under its head, drooling profusely.

Fat Catfish, their Round Head huddled together, sleeping side by side.

Long Binglin chuckled.

"Whether one possesses the ability to transform or not makes absolutely no difference..."

East Wing Room.

Long E Ying covered herself with a thin blanket and turned to sleep on her side.

The next day.

"You big snakes are really interesting. Let's talk to the old man in the Great Marsh."