Myriad Paths

In the dark lair, it can be said that there is almost no daylight, and you can't see your fingers.

If Li Qi's original eyes were used, he would definitely not be able to see anything and could only rely on hearing sounds to identify his location.

I think the sharks did the same thing, using their eyes and their voices at the same time, because Li Qi noticed that Lei Fang's hearing was very good, even better than Li Qi's.

Maybe this is racial talent?

Of course, now that there are pupil bugs, Li Qi can clearly see these nests.

These nests may be related to the occupations of the sharks and the 'renter'.

Li Qi was thinking this, but at this moment, he saw a large group of sharks swimming towards him.

He counted the number, and there were more than twenty. Under the leadership of Lei Fang, they all quickly came to Li Qi.

"Sir, this is my home, and they are all my family. These are my brothers, brothers, sisters, and these two are my parents!" Lei Fang seemed to want to introduce his family, so in front of many sharks Swim around.

To be honest, it was difficult for Li Qi to distinguish between men and women.

They all look like charming girls, both male and female, with smooth and slender bodies. Since they don’t need to breastfeed, they don’t have any secondary sexual characteristics. Moreover, the fish tails on their lower bodies are all the same, and there is no primary sexual characteristics at all. levy.

And they are not a race with strong muscles, and they don't need those in the water, so both men and women have the same body shape, even the long hair is no different.

It's really...hard to recognize.

Especially when introducing his parents, Li Qi was confused and couldn't tell which one was his father and which one was his mother.

Moreover, the reproductive ability of the sharks seems to be very strong... This family has only one pair of parents, and they actually have about twenty children. They are really fertile.

But, why are there no elderly people?

Is it because the sharks have a long lifespan, so they haven’t reached the age of ‘old’ yet?

It's very possible. Li Qi has read about this in books. The lifespan of the sharks is quite long, about a thousand years. Although it is not immortal, it is very long compared to the human race.

It is said that the oil extracted from them can be used to make lamp oil, which can also keep candle flames burning for thousands of years.

Li Qi has never used it, but it is most likely true. Someone has really used a shark to refine oil.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. I'm just curious and came to see the shark's residence. I apologize for disturbing you." Li Qi immediately said with his hands in hand.

However, they saw these sharks shaking their heads and waving their hands, saying no, no, some were in a panic, and a few were even ready to swim back, but were caught back by other brothers and sisters.

Lei Fang hurriedly stepped forward: "Mr. Geng made me laugh. We just didn't expect anyone to come to the house. After all... it's really a bit shabby. I hope you can forgive me and don't blame me."

"Really? Is this a shabby type? In other words... your financial situation is actually not very good?" Li Qi couldn't tell whether the shark's home was shabby or luxurious, so he asked.

Lei Fang didn't seem to expect Li Qi's thinking to jump so fast, and was stunned for a moment.

However, she immediately reacted and replied: "It is indeed not very good. We pearl farmers... are not very good. The rent is very heavy and the tax on Dongyu is not light."

"Oh...that's why you went to the outskirts of Dongyu to sell pearls. Those people like you are all the same as you?" Li Qi asked.

"Almost, they are all the same. The location in front of Dongyu is good, there are many people coming and going, everyone is there." Lei Fang nodded and replied.

Li Qi thought thoughtfully and nodded: "So that's it...have you finished your work?"

"It's done, it's done, sir, please tell me where to go next!" Lei Fang immediately replied.

When the other sharks saw this, they also wanted to leave. They were originally here to pay homage to the noble man, but they seemed not as courageous as Laifang, so they hesitated, as if they didn't dare to speak.

Although his race is a shark, his temperament is no different from that of an old farmer from Baiyue.

Maybe... their social status is actually that of old farmers among the sharks? And he is still a tenant farmer, because he still has to pay rent.

Li Qi watched these people leave without much communication from beginning to end, because Li Qi knew that if he spoke, it might bring more unnecessary burdens to them.

After all Lei Fang's family members left, Li Qi looked at Lei Fang floating next to him and said, "Let's go, you can take me to visit the land of the sharks first. Your family should not be the only one here, right?"

"...? What is there to see in these places, sir... There are many shops on Dongyu Island, and many things from the depths of the East China Sea are transported out of them and sold in the East China Sea. There are more good things there, ah... I'm sorry." Halfway through her words, Lei Fang realized that she shouldn't make the decision, so she gave herself a slap in the face, and then immediately changed her tune: "I'll take you to look around, shall we start from the pearl field here?"

"Don't be so formal. Let's talk as we walk." Li Qi shook his head.

The hierarchy of superiors and inferiors in Donghai seems to be very serious.

Someone like Lei Fang is actually quite courageous?

While Li Qi was sketching the situation in the East China Sea, he and Lei Fang left the nest and headed for a pearl planting site not far away.

He swam around and asked seemingly casually: "By the way, how do you collect the rent?"

"Rent? The charge is... In these years, the rent is 70%, which is a little heavier than in previous years. It is said that there is a war, but it doesn't feel like a war. It seems that the people above are looking for an excuse to increase the rent... ..." Lei Fang said beside him, and he couldn't help but complain a bit.

But she immediately realized that she shouldn't say this, so she shut up in time.

"70%...regardless of the harvest, it's 70%?" Li Qi asked again.

"No, we pay a fixed amount of land rent first, and then pay another 70% after the harvest. It is said that this can prevent us from being lazy and not planting after renting the land." Lei Fang said.

"Won't you protest against such a heavy rent?" Li Qi asked.

"Protest? Well... It's not necessary, right? After all, the land does belong to his family, and the pearl mussels we grow are rented from them. Without the pearl mussels cultivated by the mother clams, we wouldn't be able to do this, so actually It's quite normal, right?" After Lei Fang changed his mind, he started to defend the landlord again.

"All pearl clams are cultivated by mother clams?" Li Qi was stunned.

"Otherwise? I heard that my grandfather used to grow his own clams in his generation, but that's no longer possible. The clams we grow are not good, the pearl yield rate is low, the production is slow, and the quality of the pearls produced is not good, so everyone uses The mother of clams has produced clams. Although the rent is much higher, overall, the income is much higher than before," Lei Fang explained.

Li Qi nodded.

Landowners and sharecroppers style production, and then monopolize the seeds...

The strange thing about this is what the 'clam mother' is.

Now it seems that if the literal meaning is taken, these pearl clams are all the offspring of the mother clam. So, is this what the mother clam wants to see? You must know that the culture environment of pearl clams is completely different from the natural environment. If you want to get the pearls, you must first pry open the pearl clams, which will directly lead to the death of the pearl clams.

If not...

Could that clam be some kind of biological production factory?

So, this method reminded Li Qi of humanity.

Coupled with the fact that not long ago, Li Qi saw people in Li Dao registering the arrivals, and they needed to record the breath when entering the city...

Is this an erosion of humanity?

Not necessarily, let’s keep an eye on it.

Thinking like this, Li Qi began to observe the place where the sharks lived.

As he observed this lower area, and based on Lei Fang's introduction, Li Qi gradually began to understand this giant mechanism.

It turns out that Dongyu is also divided into upper and lower urban areas.

"The upper level is where you, sir, are going. The lower level is usually where our aborigines live. This is where the Shark clan lives in the lower level." Lei Fang said.

This Shangxia is literally Shangxia. The upper level is the well-known Dongyu. It mainly provides a resting place for tourists, businessmen, and people from other places in the East China Sea.

This is also the role of Dongyu that Li Qi first understood. It is used as a haven and a place to stay for those people who are not good at water in the East China Sea. Everything will not have to be solved at sea. It can also facilitate the management of these people so that there are only a few of them. Collecting and distributing at fixed locations, each communicating with each other and bringing things from the outside to the East China Sea, can create many variables for the East China Sea area and prevent it from turning into a stagnant water.

But a giant institution like Dongyu also needs maintenance.

A huge mechanism must also rely on every small part to operate and cannot be created out of thin air. Li Qi already understood this when he understood the theory of boundaries.

Difficult things in the world must be made easy.

Great things in the world must be done in detail.

Therefore, the saint is not great in the end, so he can become great.

The lower levels of Dongyu are the maintainers and producers of these small parts.

Lei Fang continued: "Most of our pearls are sent to the oven. The nobles will buy all our pearls, so we just plant them and don't worry about sales. This is also a better place than before. ”

"Noble? Oven?" Li Qi noticed two words.

As for the snail people, he knew that they were also a race from the East China Sea.

"Nobles, they are the people who rented the land to us. They are also sharks, but their cultivation level is much higher. However, we don't know what grade it is. With a presence like this, sir, we might be able to find out..."

Li Qi nodded slightly, no wonder...

When I went to see Lei Fang's family before, I thought their trembling appearance was due to fear, but it turned out to be because of the title of 'noble person' at that time.

In other words, I was regarded as a 'noble person' at that time, no... Judging from Lei Fang's attitude towards me now, I also regard myself as a 'noble person'.

In other words, "noble people" are not limited to race, and not only sharks are "noble people".

At this time, I heard Lei Fang continue talking.

"As for the oven, it is the place of the snail people. The pearl will be sent to the oven. The snail people are good at making magic weapons, so they have always maintained the oven. The pearl is their energy source. The nobles let us Plant pearls, then buy our pearls and sell them to Luo people," Lei Fang said.

"It seems that the snail people and the shark people are not engaged in food production, so what do you eat?" Li Qi was curious.

"There is a shepherd. Sir, haven't you met the shepherd before?" Lei Fang said.

Li Qi recalled that he had indeed seen a sea herder breeding fish before.

"So it turns out that each ethnic group occupies part of the area and social functions of Dongyu? This is a bit like Baiyue. By the way, did the nobles say why this is the case?" Li Qi said while pondering. .

Lei Fang didn't know what Baiyue was, but... from the noble man's tone, it was probably not a good place, but she immediately answered the question: "Well, the noble people seemed to have said, what is this called... ecological niche? "

As soon as he said this, Li Qi's eyes suddenly widened.

His previous meditation was directly awakened by this term!

Ecological niche!

Yes, this is it!

That’s it, that’s it!

So that’s it!

Li Qi immediately understood why there was such severe oppression, such a huge gap between rich and poor, and such a hierarchical social composition.

The way of heaven's evolution, is this the 'way of heaven's evolution' of the real dragons?

Completely free competition.

Completely unfettered prey of the jungle.

Unbridled expansion, arbitrary occupation of ecological niches, ultimate freedom without any restrictions and supervision, but also the ultimate unfreedom!

Survival of the fittest, only by finding a position that suits you and surviving the brutal competition can you be qualified to gain a foothold in the East China Sea.

You don’t have to be strong, because weak people are allowed to exist in the food chain, but you have to bear the responsibility of ‘food’.

You may be strong, but even if you are as strong as Dragon Lord, you will die without a burial, and no one will help him take revenge. The corpse is like a whale falling, becoming the food of countless weak people, just because he lost in the 'competition of the strong'.

No limits death competition!

You must do your best at every step, either to die or to adapt to this arena, whether it is to adapt as food and nutrients, or to adapt as a being at the top of the food chain.

Is this the way of heaven?

So... the one who stands at the top of Tianyan's way is the real dragon?

Now Li Qi understood.

Why everything in the East China Sea targets the true dragon? I also understand why the true dragon is so powerful and why it has such a terrifying talent.

If Li Qi's conjecture is correct, then... the true dragon is a perfect creature, the ultimate product of the way of heaven.

No weaknesses, adaptable to all conditions.

No wonder the original 'Dragon Lord' was able to adapt to the divine position, human official position, and refine the East China Sea at the same time, but it was not immune to any backlash. Is this the foundation of a perfect creature taking effect?

Is the foundation of a perfect creature enough to allow him to adapt to the conflicts of various paths?

Li Qi suddenly realized that the way of Tianyan might be of great help to him.

Can this adaptability, coupled with the Tao Sect's 'ultimate way', completely solve the problem of conflict between paths in the body?

Li Qi took a deep breath.

However, at this moment, the man next to him saw Li Qiqi stunned and asked, "Sir? Sir? Someone is coming towards us."