Leaving the Martial Hall, Liang Qu couldn't even find time to put down his medicine pouch.

He rushed straight to the academy.

Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and today was the last day of classes.

Once classes ended, there would be a seven-day Spring Festival holiday.

Obviously, he needed to show up and explain his absence.

Otherwise, if no one saw him for half a month, they might assume he was neglecting his studies due to his status as a personal disciple, which would leave a bad impression.

The sunlight leaned gently on the clouds, casting shadows of the windows onto the walnut wood tables, tinting the entire room with a faint pink hue.

The young students sat upright in uniform dress, their expressions focused.

While teaching, Si Hengyi caught sight of Liang Qu through the window.

He couldn't continue with the lesson and quickly stepped out, almost bumping into Liang Qu.

"Mr. Si?"

"Finally, you’re here. Come with me to see the Headmaster!"

"The Headmaster?"

The Headmaster, the one responsible for managing the academy and teaching, akin to a principal, was also called the “Dean” or “Lecturer.” Liang Qu was momentarily puzzled as to why Si Hengyi wanted him to see the Headmaster.

"The 'Phonetic Method' you showed me last time was ingenious. I submitted it to the Headmaster the very next day. The Headmaster was full of praise for your idea and, together with the other lecturers, studied it for several days, improving on your method. We started using it for teaching from yesterday. Though it's early days to see its effectiveness, I'm sure that within a few days, it'll prove far quicker than the traditional Fanqie method! The number of characters the students can learn daily is bound to increase several times!"

Liang Qu was startled, not expecting Si Hengyi to act so swiftly, but this was exactly what he wished for.

He brought out this concept hoping to secure an invention reward.

While hoping for a noble title might be a stretch, earning some silver or gaining a tax exemption would be good.

Naturally, the sooner this was accomplished, the better, ideally before May to save some summer tax money.

Guided by Si Hengyi, Liang Qu met the Headmaster, a white-haired elder dressed in a blue robe, sitting in a small pavilion, named Zhao Ji.

"Student Liang Qu greets the Headmaster."

"No need for such formalities."

Zhao Ji raised his hand slightly, avoiding unnecessary words, and placed several stacks of papers on the table.

"Take a look. What differences do you find with your original idea after our study and improvements? Any better suggestions?"

Liang Qu accepted the papers and went through them page by page.

This version had fewer phonetics than the seventy-six he originally summarized, appearing as only sixty-three, consisting of twenty-three initial sounds, twenty-four vowels, and sixteen whole syllables for reading recognition.

The characters chosen were simpler, some obscure the original components, and differed greatly from the existing script system but were distinct and could be drawn in one stroke without confusion.

Some phonetics had changed so much that even Liang Qu did not recognize them, but with the marked phonetics, he could understand them with a bit of practice.

The Headmaster was indeed remarkable, this was essentially a version upgrade.

Major revisions without changing the framework and abundant content modifications!

"Truly admirable! It surpasses my version by far!”

Zhao Ji shook his head, "It's I who should admire you. Without your unique idea, I’d never have conceptualized using symbols for pronunciation, but would remain stuck in the cycle of using characters for phonetics. Extracting the pronunciation independently not only keeps it from deforming but also significantly simplifies the cumbersome Fanqie system."

The bulk of the Fanqie system was evident.

With over four hundred characters for just the top-sliced initial sounds and over a thousand for the bottom-sliced vowels, learning this system alone was daunting for the young.

In the former world, it was not much different.

It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty that a monk unexpectedly created a thirty-six letter phonetic system, drastically simplifying the framework.

Not until the Yuan Dynasty did they think of using an independent system for sound marks.

Liang Qu’s appearance was like a divine intervention, achieving both systematic summary and independent framework, he could be considered a pioneer in children's education!

If not he, who else deserves the invention prize?

"A talented person always emerges in every generation," Zhao Ji sighed, "Perhaps only a novice like you, unconfined by the limitations of characters, could think of such an innovative method. In my perspective, using a different set of symbols as phonetic substitutes for characters is the most ingenious part. Yang Dongxiong has indeed taken on a good disciple. Your understanding is profound, and your creativity commendable. Even without deep study, you will become a martial arts master in the future."

To address Master Yang directly meant that the Headmaster's status was certainly not simple.

Liang Qu reflected inwardly while maintaining a humble demeanor.

"See if there are any further improvements you might suggest."

Liang Qu shook his head, "I am dull-witted; my previous attempts were the best I could think of. This version is much superior, and I believe it perfectly suitable."

"Good, if that’s the case, I will submit your achievement. Whether your rank will be promoted is uncertain, but I assure you, future taxes will be exempted."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

Liang Qu bowed, retired with Si Hengyi, and spent another hour studying at the academy to make his presence felt, then headed to the dock, rowing towards Righteous Prosperity City.

He planned to visit the three beasts.

The flowing water rippled as the three water beasts rejoiced at the sight of the divine being.

They swam happily on the water, creating whirlpools while the black canopy boat bobbed uncontrollably.

The three beasts had noticeably grown; two could now rival the black canopy boat in length.

"Fist" had grown over a foot tall, its raised claws reaching Liang Qu’s knees, ordinary fish were trapped with no chance of escape within its claws.

The Heavenly Water Centipede Ah Wei, sensing the heavy moisture, slowly peeled away from Liang Qu's wrist, slid into the water, and quietly reposed on the surface, appearing very satisfied.

It was after all a "Water Centipede."

Gada Gada Gada.

A pair of dark red angles grasped by "Fist" appeared.

It jumped onto the bow, moving its six legs swiftly, lifting its claws, and placing them in Liang Qu’s hands.

Liang Qu accepted the red horns, identified them as belonging to a horned pomfret, bright vermilion with a glossy sheen, almost looking like jade at first glance.

He stroked them in his hand, surprised by the size.

They reached two inches, suggesting the fish could easily weigh nearly ten pounds.

Previously, he consumed a horned pomfret just over a pound, yielding 1.8 units of Water Essence.

The edible parts of such fish were not high.

Unlike specialized edible fish with exaggerations over fifty percent, it hovered around forty percent.

Meaning back then he only consumed five ounces for nearly two units of Water Essence, a substantial content.

Amongst the three treasure fishes he encountered so far, this species was the highest.

A single ten-pound horned pomfret could provide close to forty units of Water Essence.

"Fist" had only a small portion, the remainder devoured by the Fatty Catfish and Pig Dragon.

Yesterday when Liang Qu went to slay the mountain spirit, the two beasts found a red blood perch.

As both were on the verge of evolution and he was busy, he didn't attend to them.

The red blood perch added another five to six points within the two beasts’ bellies.

[Consume 6.2 points of Water Essence to evolve the Grand Marsh Crocodile into a Horned Wood Crocodile]
[Consume 8.4 points of Water Essence to evolve the Six-Whiskered Catfish into a Tiger-Head Catfish]

They were only a fraction short.

Liang Qu felt strained.

He was fourteen points short; if fortunate, one treasure fish would suffice.

If not, he might need two or three.

Uncertain about the evolutionary breakthrough.

Liang Qu encouraged them, "Explore the surroundings and devour any red blood perch or tigerhead grouper you encounter. Whether and when evolution occurs is up to you. I’ll return later to join you in the search."

The Fatty Catfish waved its whiskers while the Pig Dragon flicked its tail, both indicating they would redouble their efforts.

Liang Qu nodded, signaling Ah Wei to return.

After Ah Wei settled back onto his wrist, now appearing as a blue bracelet, he rowed towards Shangrao.

He estimated his second estate might soon be ready for roofing, necessitating a gesture with a copper coin for auspiciousness.

Once that was settled, he planned to return and explore the aquatic territories with the three beasts, eager to make up that final fraction.

"One, two, three, ho!"

"Put your backs into it! We just had the noon meal, why does it seem like you have no strength?"

As the evening set in, the workers showed no sign of stopping, shoulder to shoulder with a large beam in the pale moonlight.

The carpenter, Liu Quanfeng, stood atop the house, barking commands at the laborers below.

The sturdy men struggled with the large beam, breathing heavily, the sensation of sweating in winter being most uncomfortable.

Suddenly, all burdens on shoulders lightened.

A beam requiring three or four men to carry was lifted by a young man, seemingly with ease.

The robust fellows turned to see, exclaiming, "Master Liang! Master Liang, you shouldn't be doing this! Let us take care of it!"

Liang Qu stepped back with the beam, evading their grasp, "Don’t address me as Master Liang, among fellow villagers, it's too formal. Just call me Brother Shui."

"Liu" Liu Quanfeng opened his mouth, seeing Liang Qu look his way, switched smoothly, "Brother Shui, they’ve been fed and paid. They should earn their keep without you lifting a finger!"

"No worries, I'm strong and finish the job quickly."

Liang Qu effortlessly carried the large beam towards the courtyard, calling back, "Where should this go, Uncle Fu?"

"Just here! Just right here!"

Liu Quanfeng hurriedly descended from the scaffold, aiding Liang Qu in placing the beam down.

"Brother Shui, you came to check the progress, right? Rest assured, no one’s slacking. We’re about to elevate the main beam, once it's in place, I'll expedite the roofing. We might leave the side rooms for later, but the main house will be fully ready by early spring. You’ll definitely be able to move in."

"No worries, Uncle. Take your time. I'm not in a hurry, just passing by and thought I’d take a look."

Liang Qu looked around, "Uncle Liu, which is the crossbeam for the main hall? Since you’re setting it, I’d like to place a copper coin."

"My forgetfulness almost got the better of me!" Liu Quanfeng pointed to the stack of beams, singling out the longest and thickest one, "That's it."

Liu Quanfeng quickly retrieved a chisel, carving out a small niche.

Seeing this, Liang Qu pulled out a copper coin, placing it inside.

Liu Quanfeng collected some clay, patching up and sealing the gaps, pressing and securing the copper coin.

This ensured "wealth was not revealed," believed to bring prosperity.

There were also other methods like tying red stringed coins and placing coins below, though there was no need to do more.

(This chapter ends)