Soaked in Sweat

The candlelight was blazing.

Illuminating the shadowy figures.

Several desks were lined up in a row, with texts piled up like a mountain on them.

No one dared to move around freely in the entire River Conservancy Office. Every study and every corner of the staircase was guarded by soldiers.

The Record Keeper carried the accounts, ledgers, and documents to the first-floor hall for the senior officials to review and examine.

Li Shoufu was so busy that he couldn't stop running around, but he couldn't help but glance at the white-haired old man sitting at the head of the table.

There can be no mistake.

Damn! The Subordinate Second Rank Water River Governor, Great Grandmaster, is Liang Qu's maternal uncle!

I've heard that Liang Qu was orphaned at a young age, so how come his maternal clan is so powerful?

"On January 6th of this year, the account showed that you had allocated funds..."

"This funding is for the repair of Lord Qiu's Dyke in Hua Zhu County. Last year, the embankment in Hua Zhu County collapsed, and emergency repairs were carried out. There are still many imperfections. We repair water conservancy in winter and Anlan. In order to prevent accidents during this year's plum rain and rainy season, we are carrying out a second reinforcement in advance."

Wei Lin and Xu Yuelong stood respectfully waiting.

Whenever there was a question regarding a reward or punishment, the two of them would step forward to argue and explain in detail.

If you can't answer or do something wrong, draw a red circle around it.

In a short while.

Wei Lin and Xu Yuelong each received three red circles.

The Three Laws Department Demon Subduing Division chuckled inwardly.

So-called inspections are by no means intended to find problems.

No matter how capable the minister is, if he stays around for a few days to replenish supplies, what major problems can he find?

Essentially, it means to knock or strike.

Who hasn't acted expediently at times? When one has great power, there will always be instances where one's actions deviate from the rules, and regardless of whether the outcome is good or bad, such actions will inevitably be subject to reprimand.

They'll nitpick at you like you're eating a good egg.

With the arrival of the King of Yue, the various departments should have shared the pressure.

Unfortunately, the rain was heavy today, and the group of old ministers had reached the shore, but the ground was damp and difficult to move around on.

The ministers who were originally assigned to Patrol Inspector the four localities of the Prefectural Office, the Three Laws Department, the Demon Subduing Division, and the River Conservancy Office are now all concentrated nearby, leaving the River Conservancy Office to bear the burden alone. Even if there were no problems, problems have been identified.

Seeing that Wei Lin had gained another ring.

Zuo Heng was overjoyed and couldn't help but laugh.

A figure flashed by in the hall.

The soldier ran in from outside the door and knelt on one knee.

"Sir, the rain has stopped!"

Oh no! Zuo Heng looked up.

Water droplets dripped from the tips of leaves outside, falling sporadically and creating ripples in the pond.

At midday, golden light tore a hole in the middle of the dark clouds, and from that hole, the leaden-gray clouds collapsed piece by piece.

The sky cleared! Xu Yuelong breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a huge weight lifted from his heart.

More than a dozen ministers whispered among themselves in the hall. Immediately, someone stood up and said that he wanted to go and see other Prefectural Office and towns.

Su Guishan gestured towards the outside and gave Wei Lin and Xu Yuelong a wink.

Wei Lin was taken aback.

Xu Yuelong stepped forward and bowed.

"Gentlemen, you must be tired from your journey. Why don't you have lunch before you continue?"

After a moment's thought, the senior officials agreed and went to the public kitchen.

Wei Lin remained silent.

Wei Shao, on the other hand, seemed to understand and quietly moved closer.

"My lord, it is certainly unpleasant to nitpick, but we cannot rush to send them away. After the meal, the ministers will still leave. We will suffer no loss, and we can also show that we have nothing to hide and are not afraid of inspection."

"So that's how it is."

Ke Wenbin rubbed his chin.

Ran Zhongshi rolled his eyes.

Xiang Fangsu rolled up his sleeves. "Let's eat! I need to ask A Shui how he tricked the Snake Demon!"

"I almost forgot!" Ke Wenbin slapped his forehead. "A mastermind is right beside me!"

The two sang in unison, drawing everyone's attention.

That's right.

How did A Shui manage to cure a four-headed Snake Demon?

"It has nothing to do with me, the idea wasn't mine!" Liang Qu denied it outright.

"It wasn't what you thought, but it was you who did it! Liang Water Envoy quite capable. With such skills, keeping them hidden is not the way of a gentleman. Why don't you give us a lesson and teach us a few moves?"

Xu Yuelong sneered.

"Yes, A Shui, no, Liang Water Envoy! Lord Liang! I want to learn this!"

"I haven't been taught the underwater treasure hunting method since last time, and I've been tossing and turning at night ever since. I beg Master Liang to take me on as a disciple!"

"Underwater treasure hunting and cross-border demon slaying—Master Liang possesses two great Divine Ability; acquiring either one can bring peace to the world!" Bai Yinbin declared emphatically.

"..."

After dinner.

The minister summoned several commanders to lead the way to their respective Prefectural Office.

I just went out.

"Why don't you see the Drum Tower? Prefect Jian, do you know why the imperial court abolished Huaiyin Prefecture and established Ping Yang County instead?"

"I know that Ping Yang County is located near the Jiang Huai Great Marsh and should be a bridgehead to block the Ghost Mother Sect."

What was the purpose of the Drum Tower?

"Place a giant drum and strike it to sound the alarm..." Jian Zhongyi's forehead was visibly covered in sweat. "However, there are many migrants in Pingyang Prefecture, and many towns and villages are still experiencing a continuous influx of people, making it difficult to establish a fixed location..."

"Absurd! It's too late to rein in a horse when it's near a dangerous cliff, and too late to patch a leak when the boat is in the middle of the river. Haven't you heard of preventing problems before they arise? Even if the site selection was wrong, building another one is far less damaging than locking the stable door after the horse has bolted."

Jian Zhongyi quickly lowered his head and apologized.

They found fault with it as soon as I stepped out the door.

The rabbit mourns the fox's death.

Zuo Heng felt a pang of sympathy.

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, more and more people began to move around along the riverbank.

The surrounding villagers watched from a distance. Although they were afraid of the giant snake in front of the Flowing Light Boat and dared not approach it, it did not stop them from discussing it.

"This... the messenger of the Lord River God, we haven't seen him for a few days, how come he's been detained by the officials and treated like cattle?"

"Chen Yi, do you know about this?"

Chen Yi scratched his head. "How would I know..."

"Aren't you from Yi Xing Town? On the sixth day of the June, the River God bestows gifts, both turtles and cranes. People in your town have been bragging about it like it's nothing, half of Ping Yang County knows about it. Why are you silent now?"

Chen Yi was so embarrassed that he twirled his index finger around the weeds by the river and squeezed out a bluish sap, and then he had nothing to say in his argument.

He couldn't understand it.

How could a perfectly good River God's messenger turn into a cow or a horse?

"I'd almost forgotten about that..."

At the entrance of the Prefectural Office, Liang Qu finally managed to extricate himself from the interrogation and was about to take his leave and go home when he overheard a few words of discussion among the villagers. Sensing something was wrong, he turned around and waved goodbye.

Cha Qing stepped forward with clasped hands. "My lord?"

Where are Li LiBo, Chen Jiechang, and Lin Songbao?

"I recently led a team to clean the sewers, but it's raining heavily today, so I'm probably at home or at the Martial Arts School."

"Call them over."

"Yes!"

More and more villagers gathered on the riverbank to watch the spectacle.

The Azure Viper seemed a little restless. Every time it glared, it frightened the people into scattering, but a moment later it would swarm around them like ants smelling candy.

Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang, panting heavily, rushed to the study on the second floor.

"Water Bro! Song Bao left early to lead a team to clean the sewers. Is there anything wrong? Should I go find him?"

"It's alright." The mansion was so large, with a complex network of sewers; it wouldn't be easy to find without knowing the exact location. Liang Qu cut to the chase, "Did you hear anything on the way?"

"On the road?" Chen Jiechang looked thoughtful. "It seems like they're all talking about some giant snake?"

Li LiBo recalled the scene at the port and his face showed a look of realization.

"Those big snakes were offered as gifts at the River God Sacrifice, weren't they? I was wondering why they looked familiar. Did they get caught?"

"They intended to bribe me and plotted something wicked, but the people don't understand. In addition, after several days of fermentation, many people have already believed that they are messengers of the River God, and the situation is not good for me." Liang Qu said succinctly.

Times change.

Previously, the Snake Demon was very powerful, and the people believed that he was an envoy, which would enhance his prestige.

Now that the Martial Saint has captured us, if we don't guide him properly, it will damage our reputation.

The background color of the background board is crucial.

We must not let the bull, horse Snake Demon, or demon harm us.

Li LiBo suggested. "Why don't we spread some news? Say that the divine messenger was sent by the River God god to help Da Shun manage the Jianghuai waters. Isn't that how it's always said in folk tales? So-and-so sent his servants to dig through such-and-such mountain and bring peace to the floods."

Chen Jiechang nodded. "A few days ago, didn't a lot of people from our River Conservancy Office go to see some kind of Immortal Island Above the Clouds? Since the date was close, we said that's when they were sent down."

With each of them speaking, they quickly pieced together the logical chain of how the Snake Demon was transformed into a cow or a horse, supported by the strange phenomenon of the Immortal Island Above the Clouds.

Offering gifts was to express gratitude for the Yi Xing Town, and serving as cattle and horses was a willing act of devotion to the great sage King of Yue.

It was written in a very professional and well-structured manner.

Liang Qu asked, "How do you plan to spread the word?"

Without hesitation, Li LiBo said, "Find a storyteller, compose a rhyme, sing a couple of lines while telling a story, and then go to the Martial Arts School to tell the few kids in our town who come to learn martial arts."

Every day after practice, these kids would go back to their friends and brag. There were dozens of them, around fourteen or fifteen years old, and they were the most argumentative and boastful, always wanting to show off everything they knew. They'd talk about it at the dinner table at night, and within two or three days, the news would be all over town.

Chen Jiechang added, "Song Bao can lend a hand. There's a lot of foot traffic at the Fishing Wharf, mostly fishermen. Just ask them to chat a bit during the buying and selling process."

Liang Qu deeply agreed. He specifically invited the two men because their status as fellow villagers would make things easier.

"You two, you've passed the third level, haven't you?"

Li LiBo chuckled, "The Snake Bone Pill I gave you last time were very effective."

The three passes Bone Barrier; blood is generated from bones. It won't be long for the two of them to reach the fourth pass.

"If you can reach the four checkpoints before October this year, I'll find an opportunity to promote you both to river chiefs before the holiday!"

Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang were overjoyed.

Even the lowest-ranking official is worlds apart from a mere clerk!