Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 69 The Spirit Official Intercepts the Meeting
At midday, the blazing sun beats down, and the flames blaze fiercely.

Swallow's Nest, a desolate mountain and a dilapidated temple.

Zheng Dongjia's face was ashen. He endured the stench of decay as he looked at the unrecognizable corpse at his feet, which had been devoured by jackals and tigers, leaving only a body of white, jade-like bones.

"Useless, utterly useless!!"

Zheng Dongjia's eyes were bloodshot. He kicked the men in front of him hard in the abdomen, and then, almost as if to vent his anger, he took out a whip and lashed it out, leaving afterimages as he whipped the men, causing them to bleed and cry out in pain.

Even though they all possessed second-rate cultivation levels, none of them dared to resist in the slightest, allowing Master Zheng to punish them.

A moment later, Zheng Dongjia expressionlessly dropped the whip and wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief.

"How did he die? How long has he been dead?"

One person said in a trembling voice,
"There were no signs of bone fracture or poisoning; it must have been an external injury. Furthermore, there were no signs of resistance or struggle at the scene, suggesting a fatal blow. He likely died at the beginning of the month..."

Mr. Zheng said calmly,
"So, it took you more than half a month to find Yang Lu after she died... Then what mountain were you searching?"

"Please forgive me, boss!!"

The men dared not explain, their expressions filled with fear, and they all knelt down on the ground.

Outside the temple, a group of followers also kept their eyes down and remained silent.

"It seems Zhao Guangxi is hiding something from me... Yang Lu died at the hands of someone else."

Zheng Dongjia still held a sliver of hope, but Yang Lu took away the Qinggang matches and was captured and imprisoned by Zhao Guangxi and others.

Both people and things fell into Shuiwozi's hands.

Then there's room for discussion.

But the worst happened.

Yang Lu's death indicates the involvement of a third force, which even seized the Qinggang matches.

Moreover, the person who could kill Yang Lu with a single blow must undoubtedly be a top-tier expert, not some idle hermit, and most likely someone of considerable importance.

Trouble.

Zheng Dongjia's forehead veins throbbed intermittently, his emotions becoming increasingly unstable, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

"Take the body back!"

After speaking sternly, Zheng Dongjia turned and left the temple, got into a sedan chair with a sunshade, and was immediately served chilled longan by a delicate maid who fanned him and massaged his feet.

A moment later, he returned to his residence.

A butler whispered in Zheng Dongjia's ear.

Master Zheng looked on in astonishment, turned around the screen wall, and looked at the wealthy figure in the guest hall who was looking around and drinking tea with his legs crossed.

Beside her stood a beautiful woman in a long red dress, admiring the paintings hanging in the room.

"Zhao Guangxi, Liu Ruyue?"

Master Zheng frowned and walked into the guest room.

When Zhao Guangxi saw Zheng Dongjia, he stood up with a smile and said,

"Brother Zheng, instead of staying home to escape the heat, you've gone out despite the hardship. Your diligence truly puts me, Zhao, to shame..."

"Hmph! What are you doing here?"

Zheng Dongjia didn't give Zhao Guangxi a friendly look.

He nodded to Liu Ruyue, a gesture that was somewhat polite.

After all, Liu Ruyue's father worked in the county government, so he wasn't just an ordinary peasant.

"Brother Zheng, you seem to have a bad memory... Didn't you invite me here? The things are right here with me."

As Zhao Guangxi spoke, one of his servants lifted the black cloth covering the hall, revealing a box.

With a 'thump', the box opened, revealing the hibiscus oil inside.

Zhao Guangxi slowly sat back down in his original seat, leisurely sipping his tea, as if everything was under control.

Upon seeing this, a glint of shrewdness flashed in Zheng Dongjia's eyes.

Zhao Guangxi and Liu Ruyue seemed unaware of Yang Lu's situation.
Or is it just an act?!

After all, in Zheng Dongjia's eyes, leaking the news that the mill was smuggling hibiscus oil was a minor matter.

The real problem is the loss of the Qinggang matches!
"Heh, Zhao Guangxi, so you're still saying that the one who burned the granary wasn't from your Shuiwozi?"

Zheng Dongjia didn't even glance at the hibiscus oil lamp on the ground, and sat down in the main seat.

Zhao Guangxi shook his head and said, "Oh! Brother Zheng, you've misunderstood me. This thing appeared at my doorstep one morning without my knowledge, and it even left a note saying it was from your Wanlong Mill."

I tried it, and this thing is definitely unlucky. It's never appeared in our Holy Dynasty before; it seems to have come from outside..."

This is a threat to Zheng Dongjia under the pretext of smuggling and evading customs inspection.

Liu Ruyue suddenly interjected,

"Recently, tax revenue has been tight, and several land disputes have occurred in the county. My father is very worried about the county magistrate's finances. He often complains to me about these shops and stores, saying that it's difficult to collect taxes from the city and they always like to balance their books or keep separate accounts..."

This is a threat to evade taxes.

Those bastards from Shuiwozi, they're animals!!
Zheng Dongjia cursed inwardly, his face grim, and asked,

"So what do you want?" "Simple, we can pretend we know nothing... but we want 50% of the profits from selling lamp oil!"

"impossible!"

Zheng Dongjia laughed in exasperation.

If what was presented to him today were matches, he would still be willing to compromise.

But how could Zheng Shicheng allow others to manipulate a mere few boxes of hibiscus oil?

That's when.

Lines of light condensed in the void, and invisible ripples spread outwards.

A woman's voice suddenly rang in Zheng Shicheng's ears.

"Promise them."

Zheng Shicheng's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged.

"The Qinggang matches are still in Wuqing County. However..."

There was a hint of doubt in the woman's voice.
"At first, I could still roughly sense that it was in the direction of the west of the county. But a few nights ago, the sense was completely cut off. There aren't many people who could do that, and not give face to my Yue Shan Dao Academy... It's probably someone in the waterhole."

"Taking advantage of Wang Lingguan's birthday, I'll set up a gathering and a duel to find out the secrets of Shuiwozi in Wuqing County!"

The meaning in the woman's voice seemed to take shape directly in Zheng Shicheng's mind without the need for words.

So everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Zheng Shicheng glared at Zhao Guangxi and the other man, gritting his teeth.

"At most 20%."

"No, 45%!" Zhao Guangxi shook his head.

"Twenty-five percent!"

"Forty percent"

"Thirty percent!"

"Thirty-five percent!"

"No, 30% at most! That way, we'll keep 50% as a prize! We'll hold a spirit official's interception ceremony, set up a stage, offer incense, and have a contest to decide the winner!"

Zheng Shicheng said quickly,
"If you win, I will give you the profit, and I will also step aside to supply your rice mill with water; if I win, I will step aside to supply your water supply! In the future, you must not make things difficult for the rice mill!"

"This...is a deal!"

After a moment's thought, Zhao Guangxi decisively accepted.

Liu Ruyue smiled, seemingly quite satisfied with the result.

After all, people tend to compromise.

The initial 50% was already an exorbitant demand.

After a while.

After Zhao Guangxi and Liu Ruyue got up and walked out of the main room.

Zheng Shicheng flew into a rage, his breathing rapid and his chest heaving violently. He smashed the vases, paintings, tables, chairs, and benches in the room to pieces.

He even dragged in several armored slaves, who then whipped them wildly to vent their anger.

Until Zhao Guangxi and Liu Ruyue completely left the mansion and disappeared without a trace.

The anger on Zheng Shicheng's face vanished completely.

With a calm expression, he straightened his clothes, washed his hands and face, and slowly walked into the backyard of the mansion, to a stone cave hidden deep in the artificial hill.

He bowed respectfully and said...
“Holy Maiden, I have done as you instructed…”

A moment later, a woman's voice drifted out softly.
"To understand the Three Primal Elements and Myriad Laws, first observe the Earthly Foundation and Divine Skills. The Earthly Foundation is the Immortal Affinity, and Divine Skills are the Martial Arts..."

The Azure Gang Fireworks originally belonged to the Qianning Kingdom. If someone from our Holy Dynasty were to use them to open their meridians, enter the Dao through martial arts, and become an unlawful cultivator, beyond the shamanic heavenly order, countless people would be restless and unable to eat or sleep.

"We must get those things back!"

Zheng Shicheng stood there, looking bewildered.

Why couldn't he understand a single word the Holy Maiden said?

These are clearly ordinary words, but once they enter the ear, they lose their true meaning and become indistinct murmurs.

"Heh... I forgot you're just a mortal. You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. You may leave now."

After the woman finished speaking coldly, no further sound came out.

Zheng Shicheng understood this time.

He turned and left with a humble expression, showing no arrogance whatsoever as someone from Baishan.

There was no other reason than that the Holy Maiden in the stone cave was not only a guest instructor of the Yueshan Taoist Temple, but also a genuine Baishan native with impeccable lineage.

Being able to be ordered around by a true Baishan person made Zheng Shicheng feel honored, and even the blood of the other half of Baishan flowing in his body seemed to overpower the lowly blood of the Shun people.

He then became a true Baishan person.

(End of this chapter)