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

Chapter 7 Only One Coin of Blessed Water

"Which two brothers are willing to volunteer to keep watch and patrol the well at night?"

Lin Jiaotou stood beside the well, his loose short shirt revealing bulging muscles, making him look like a raging ape.

"The wages will still be paid, and you won't have to suffer from the scorching heat during the day... Hmm, I'll give you some pointers when I have the chance."

Instructor Lin looked towards the water carriers in the alley.

Chen Shunan's expression shifted slightly as he glanced at San Dezi and the other boatmen he usually befriended.

Instructor Lin was a handsome man, his skills honed from his toes to his shoulders, making him a formidable fighter even among second-rate martial artists.

His willingness to provide private instruction and personal guidance was undeniably attractive to this group of boatmen, most of whom were only third-rate.

However, Chen Shunan had no intention of making a move.

Firstly, his immediate priority is to strengthen his foundation and nourish his declining vital energy to its peak, so that he can break through to a higher realm.

Secondly, after this incident, night patrol became a hot potato.

If nothing else goes wrong, that's fine; nothing has been done wrong.

If something happens again, and we really encounter thieves.

Are you going to stop them or not? Can you stop them?
If we stop them, who gets the credit? How should we divide it? Will Instructor Lin take it, or will we share? If we don't share, it might hurt our brotherhood.

If we couldn't stop them, who will take the blame? If they were seriously injured or even killed, who will take the blame? Who will provide compensation? The brothers are all poor, and their wives and children are crying for help. Asking the brothers for money will definitely damage the relationship.

trouble!

What Chen Shunan could think of, many shrewd boatmen also thought of, and they all kept their eyes downcast and remained silent.

"I come!"

A loud voice rang out.

Before Chen Shunan could turn around, a gust of wind swept past his ear.

Then they saw Ah Hua, the tall young man from yesterday, suddenly press down with his legs, his back slump, and his whole body, like a compressed spring, leap in front of everyone with fierce force.

"call……"

With his legs firmly planted, Ahua's tense breathing suddenly relaxed, and he exhaled two white waves as thick as a thumb.

Chen Shunan's eyes lit up.

Startling Sparrow Technique!
It's also a lightness skill, a mid-level martial art!
Judging from the looks of it, Ahua's dantian energy is almost flowing through his legs, and he is only one step away from the perfect third-rate level.

Lightness skill is difficult to master, tedious and arduous, and much harder to learn than martial arts such as fist techniques and palm techniques.

Ah Hua is only in his early twenties, yet he has already reached his current level, only slightly weaker than an old man like Chen Shunan.

He can be considered a genius, albeit not a minor one.

Chen Shunan clapped his hands and praised, "A rising star, a young talent, Ahua's lightness skill has reached a high level."

San Dezi agreed, and said sourly,
"That's right, Ah Hua is really something else. He really impressed me with what he showed."

Shui San'er also spoke up.

"Sigh, these young people these days are something else! They've surpassed me without a word! I don't even know how long it will take for me to reach the point where I can channel my full power."

I heard a cacophony of welcoming voices and self-pitying remarks.

In particular, he gained the approval of Chen Shunan, a fellow practitioner of light-body skills.

Ahua's lips curled up, unable to suppress his laughter, and he felt lightheaded.

Ahua straightened his posture, head held high, chest puffed out, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Coach Lin.
"Instructor Lin, count me in! I'm willing to keep watch!"

"Good good!"

Upon seeing this, Instructor Lin's usually stern face softened with a hint of joy.

"Who else?"

"I'll come, I'll come!"

"If Brother Ahua is going, what are we afraid of?!"

Several more young sailors eagerly signed up.

But Instructor Lin only glanced at them indifferently, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and the young sailors immediately wilted.

They are not strong enough and are much weaker than Ahua.

Then Instructor Lin personally selected a trustworthy sailor with second-rate skills to partner with Ahua.

The selection of night watchmen has been completed.

Ahua turned around and politely addressed Chen Shunan and the other elderly people.

"Then I'll trouble you brothers and uncles to share the burden of this junior's task."

Chen Shunan laughed and said, "No problem, no problem, you're too kind, Ahua. If you find anything wrong while patrolling at night, just give a shout and our brothers will come right away."

Chen Shunan gave a brief warning and then pulled out a tiger-headed club, as thick as an arm and heavy and menacing, from under the waterwheel.

"This tiger-headed mace is a training weapon of the detached banner camp. Although it is worn and is considered 'scrap,' it is still more durable than ordinary weapons. You can use it temporarily to defend yourself if you encounter danger, but you must not use it to kill someone."

Ahua's face lit up with joy as he took the tiger-headed stick and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Chen. I'll remember it."

Ahua isn't stupid.

They had a pretty good idea of ​​what Chen Shunan and his group of elderly people were thinking.

Keeping watch at night, though risky, can be highly rewarding!

The opportunity to receive personal guidance from Coach Lin is not something you can easily find!
If you're in the county's martial arts academy or martial arts school, you won't even get a second glance from anyone unless you pay ten or eight taels of silver as a tea fee first!
Chen Shunan laughed at Ahua, saying that this young man didn't understand social etiquette and was keeping a low profile.

Ahua also laughed at Chen Shunan and his old comrades for not daring to fight and forge ahead bravely!
In conclusion, both parties were satisfied and viewed the other as short-sighted. The atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

……

"Brother Chen, I'm off with my cart! I still need to notify a few households about the monthly subscriptions."

A middle-aged man with a scar on his face informed Chen Shunan and then hurriedly pushed the cart away.

"Okay, Lao Liu, you go first. I still need one more bucket of water."

This Liu the Scarface is the one who said he was going to Qianzhitang the other day to buy the Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Ointment and forcefully apply it to his whole body.

He was just now remarking that Ah Hua was an amazing young man who had surpassed him.

After Qing Ji transformed into a mortal and Chen Shun'an stretched his tendons and pulled out his meridians, he had a keen eye for observing the trembling of the large tendons and the flow of energy in the lower bodies of others.

At this moment, he keenly noticed that Liu Daoba's strength had increased dramatically compared to yesterday.

His muscles and bones are firm, clearly indicating that his strength has been channeled throughout his body, and he has reached the third-rate perfection level!

Well, everyone's just pretending!

It all comes down to who can pretend the best.

Chen Shunan shook his head helplessly, turning a blind eye and pretending not to know.

Since Liu the Scarface was unwilling to reveal his identity, he naturally wouldn't expose him.

However, it's unclear whether Liu Daoba's wife is like a hot stove with cold firewood.

The fields are still fertile, but the oxen are ruined. What should we do?

……

early morning.

In a large courtyard on Yinding Street.

Dressed in a simple blue robe, with nothing to his name, living a simple life, and wearing only a single layer of clothing year-round, Scholar Ma paced back and forth in the messy courtyard, reading and reciting scriptures.

"Knowing when to stop leads to stability; stability leads to tranquility; tranquility leads to peace; peace leads to contemplation; contemplation leads to attainment... The mind is the abode of the spirit and the origin of all things."

The chanting was gentle and melodious, lingering and profound.

It was completely out of place with the lively atmosphere of splashing water, emptying bowls, chopping wood, and beating children in the yard.

Scholar Ma had an aged face, over sixty years old, but he was self-satisfied, as if he were in a golden house even in the bustling city.

The commentary on the classics he was reciting was called "Collected Commentaries on the Four Books," a famous work of Neo-Confucianism and the general outline of the imperial examinations in the Holy Dynasty.

Although Ma Xiucai had read it hundreds of times and memorized it, he gained new insights every time he recited it.

In his dilapidated house, the table, stools, and bed were piled with insoles, worn-out boots, and old clothes.

An old woman with eyes narrowed to the point of needles was threading a needle and sewing clothes to supplement her family's income.

"Master, I've scraped together five taels of silver. Go find Instructor Shen today and use your connections to get a vacant position!"

After finishing the chores that had piled up yesterday, the old woman reached with trembling hands into a compartment sewn into her underwear and took out a purse.

Inside was a five-tael silver ingot, in excellent condition.

Scholar Ma was tired from reading and went back to his room to drink some stale tea.

Upon hearing this, they shook their heads vigorously.

"No, no, I, Ma, should live an honest and upright life. How could I engage in such filthy and greedy things!"

The old woman gripped the silver ingot tightly, her face expressionless. "Not going?"

Scholar Ma nodded: "I'm not going!"

"Are you really not going?"

"You really aren't going!"

boom!
The silver ingot slammed down on Ma Xiucai's head.

The old woman, like an enraged lion, suddenly stood up from her chair with a thud, seemingly drawing strength from nowhere.

She snatched the teacup from Ma Xiucai's hand, kicked him out the door with a bang, and started cursing.
"You blockhead, you slate of bricks! If you're not going, you're not eating today! When the water delivery guy comes, you'll have to pay for it yourself!"

"Don't be shameless and ask other people for water without asking!"

The old lady launched into a furious tirade.

Many people in the courtyard poked their heads out, curiously looking in this direction.

Scholar Ma's face flushed with shame, turning as red as a monkey's bottom.

"Long hair, short brains, utterly unreasonable!!"

Ma Xiucai covered his face and walked away. After leaving the courtyard, he saw a bustling crowd and didn't know where he had gone.

Left with no other choice, he could only sit on the stone steps by the courtyard gate, sighing and lamenting.

"Scholar Ma, your sister-in-law kicked you out again?"

Suddenly, a teasing voice came from behind.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Scholar Ma immediately stood up, his face lighting up with joy. Then, as if remembering something, he stammered,
"Brother Shun'an, as you can see, with a tiger wife at home, I, Ma, am now penniless and can no longer afford your water!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan smiled, took two wooden buckets from the water cart, unscrewed the plug on the side of the water tank, and the murky well water immediately flowed out.

"Scholar Ma is overthinking it. Some time ago, when Mr. Chen went to Tanzhe Temple to burn incense, the abbot told him that he was turning fifty this year and was in the year of the inauspicious star Tai Sui. He must do good deeds to turn bad luck into good."

Chen Shunan sighed and said, "To be honest, I recently had a close call and almost lost my life! Now I want to give away some 'blessed water' and charge only one coin per load."

(End of this chapter)