Treasure Fish

Chen Qing arrived at the River Bureau.

He happened to see Cheng Ming and immediately told him that he had broken through to Hidden Strength.

After a brief daze, Cheng Ming's eyes suddenly burst with delighted light. He gave Chen Qing's shoulder a hard slap. "Good! Hahaha, good kid!"

He looked at the young man before him, who had grown ever more steady and composed.

How long had it been? Such progress was truly rare.

"You were still some days short of a full year from Bright Strength to Hidden Strength, weren't you?" Cheng Ming counted the time on his fingers.

"Yes, there are still some days left." Chen Qing nodded.

"Remarkable, truly remarkable!"

Cheng Ming praised him repeatedly, his face filled with sincere delight. "At this speed, you'd be considered an outstanding disciple even in a martial academy."

His expression then turned serious. "A Qing, now that you're at Hidden Strength, your sponsorship naturally rises with the tide. From now on, your monthly allowance will increase to thirty jin of fine meat and five portions of Blood Vitality Pills. If my Cheng Family's circumstances improve, I'll add more for you."

His tone paused slightly, carrying a trace of embarrassment that was hard to detect. After all, the Cheng Family was barely able to look after itself at the moment.

"Don't say that, Boss."

Chen Qing said without hesitation, "When I had just reached Bright Strength, only Boss supported me. I've always remembered it."

Cheng Ming was moved by those simple words, warmth surging through his heart. He gave Chen Qing's shoulder another firm squeeze. "Come, follow me."

He led Chen Qing back to his somewhat messy single room.

Puzzled, Chen Qing slowly lifted the lid of the box.

A strange fish, barely the length of a palm, lay quietly amid supple water grass. Its entire body was a pale gold, and a small horn rose from the top of its head. Its fine scales glimmered with a warm sheen beneath the candlelight.

Its eyes were black and bright, its gill covers opening and closing. It was actually still alive!

Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly. "Could this be... a Treasure Fish!?"

Having grown up in Yazi Bay, where boats were home, he naturally knew the ways of rivers, lakes, and waterways.

In the depths of these waters, there was a strange creature known as a "Treasure Fish."

The size of such fish was tied to the years they had grown. The older they were, the larger they became, and their rarity was like panning for gold in sand.

Precisely because they were so difficult to catch, their value was astonishingly high.

A few years ago, Old Man Chu, a fisherman from Yazi Bay, had struck a stroke of luck when a Treasure Fish somehow blundered into his net. He was so overjoyed that he danced with delight.

The Fish Market manager could barely be considered a decent man and gave him a full twenty taels of silver. Even then, it had been a "fair price" only after he had been squeezed dry.

Qian Biao had somehow caught wind of it and used every trick he had to lure Old Man Chu into the Floating Houses.

After one round of rigged gambling, those twenty taels of snow-white silver, steeped in Old Man Chu's blood, sweat, and wild joy, fell into the hands of Qian Biao and his gang of villains in an instant, without even a sound.

"That's right. It is a Golden Horn Carp, a Treasure Fish."

Cheng Ming lowered his voice, his eyes shining. "A Qing, you were born into a fishing family, so you should know that the rivers and great marshes are filled with countless rare treasures. This fish is a wondrous thing that nourishes sinews and bones and gathers Qi and Blood."

He drew a deep breath and continued, "Rare treasures of the world, precious medicines, and Treasure Fish are all things martial artists crave. The Blood Vitality Powder and Blood Vitality Pills we use merely contain powdered one-year Moon Gardenia Herb."

"As for Treasure Fish and precious medicines, the greater their age, the more astonishing their effects. Seven years ago, the Huang Family bought a ten-year Golden Scale for a hundred gold!"

A hundred gold!?

Chen Qing's heart jolted.

Forget ordinary commoners—even for an average wealthy household, that was no small sum.

"I wonder how the Huang Family consumed that Golden Scale."

Cheng Ming said slowly, "The nourishing effects of Treasure Fish and precious medicines are extremely potent. Martial artists generally struggle to withstand them. Once, a Mountain Dweller obtained a precious herb and swallowed it directly. His Qi and Blood swelled, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Overnight, he reached the strength of Transformation Force. The next day, he died. The medicine's effects had been too strong, his Qi and Blood had surged in reverse, and he bled to death."

"So the best way to consume precious medicines is to refine them into medicinal soups, pills, and the like."

Chen Qing thoughtfully took over, "I've heard the old fishermen mention that catching these Treasure Fish is harder than climbing to the heavens. In the water, they're as slippery as satin and so fast that only their shadows can be seen. Worst of all, Sea Weng often lurk in the waters where they appear. Of every ten fishermen who encounter one, nine and a half never return."

He paused, then asked, "Are the precious medicines in the mountains just as troublesome?"

"Sea Weng" did not refer to any particular kind of fish, but was a general term fishermen used for those enormous, incomparably savage and dangerous creatures lurking in deep water.

Their mountain-like shadows were the nightmare of every fisherman.

Chen Qing had long heard their name, but had never seen one himself.

"That's right."

Cheng Ming's expression was grave. "Precious medicines are the same! Naturally grown precious herbs are almost excessively demanding about their environment. Ley lines, water sources, and the timing of heaven—if any one of them is even slightly off, they cannot grow. Those of low age might be painstakingly transplanted, but once they pass five years, they are almost impossible to cultivate artificially. Most are hidden in deep mountains and dense forests untouched by human tracks, among sheer cliffs and secluded valleys."

"The older the herb, the more terrifying the dangers around it. Terrible 'exotic beasts' often crouch nearby as guardians. Their ferocity far surpasses ordinary tigers and leopards. The Sea Weng you mentioned are creatures of that sort."

"Some capable Blade Catchers in the Prefecture City also risk entering the mountains in search of herbs, gambling that if they obtain a great medicine several decades old, they can enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately..."

Cheng Ming shook his head. "Eight or nine out of ten herb seekers leave their bones behind in nameless wilderness mountains."

Hearing this, Chen Qing secretly shook his head.

It seemed that Treasure Fish and precious medicines were indeed good things, but they were not so easily obtained.

Cheng Ming said slowly, "This is a Golden Horn Treasure Fish that is one and a half years old. It cannot live without water and is very suitable for those below Transformation Force. Keep it."

Chen Qing hesitated. "Isn't this too precious?"

A ten-year Treasure Fish was worth a hundred gold. This one-and-a-half-year-old fish surely could not be cheap either.

"You've only just established your footing in Hidden Strength. Nourishing yourself now will yield twice the result with half the effort!"

Cheng Ming said with a grave expression, "Whatever others can provide, my Cheng Family will not provide any less. From now on, you'll receive one one-year Golden Horn Treasure Fish every month."

If Cheng Ming had previously been only half-subsidizing Chen Qing, he was now supporting him with all his strength in earnest.

The Five Great Clans divided promising youths into upper, middle, and lower grades according to their talent.

One Golden Horn Treasure Fish per month, plus meat and Blood Vitality Pills—this was not even inferior to the upper-tier support offered by the Five Great Clans.

"Thank you."

Chen Qing clasped his fists solemnly.

His master's attention had always been focused on Qin Lie, and the resources given to him were limited.

Cheng Ming's side had now undoubtedly become the greater share.

"This year's Martial Arts Examination will not be easy."

Cheng Ming spoke earnestly. "You started later than others. Just do your best—don't press your mind too hard. The road is still long!"

Chen Qing smiled. "I'll give it a try. What if I succeed?"

"Mhm, that's the spirit!"

Cheng Ming patted his shoulder, his expression easing somewhat. "Take this Treasure Fish home and stew it in clean water in an earthenware pot. Remember, keep the fire low. Once it has cooked into a thick paste-like broth and the fish bones have softened, divide it into three portions and take one every other day."

Chen Qing carefully put away the wooden box. "Understood."

"With the Martial Arts Examination approaching, you won't need to do patrol duty for a while. I'll arrange someone else. Focus on your martial training."

"Thank you for taking such trouble, Boss."

Chen Qing said no more and withdrew.

When he reached the door, he paused and looked back at Cheng Ming's figure in the room. In a low voice, he said, "Boss, thank you."

Cheng Ming was briefly stunned, then laughed and scolded, "Get back and stew your fish soup already."

Chen Qing said nothing more. Turning, he melted into the night and headed home.

In the Lian Boat district of Yazi Bay, the water rippled gently.

Chen Qing pushed open the creaking plank door. In the dim oil lamp's glow, Madam Han's hunched profile was reflected as her withered fingers kneaded her aching shoulders and neck.

"Mother, is your old shoulder injury acting up again?"

Chen Qing hurried over and pressed his palms to Madam Han's thin shoulders, massaging them.

"It's nothing."

Madam Han shook her head tiredly. "They're old injuries. Rubbing them a little will do."

"Don't weave those nets anymore. They wear you down too much."

Chen Qing said slowly, "After some time, we'll move off this boat and find somewhere solid to live."

Madam Han grew anxious at once and grabbed Chen Qing's wrist. "What's wrong with living on a boat? It's peaceful! Houses outside, no matter how rundown, are a constant drain on money."

Chen Qing held Madam Han's hand in return. "Mother, you don't need to worry about this."

Madam Han looked into Chen Qing's unwavering eyes and ultimately said no more. She only gently patted the back of his hand. "All right. Mother will listen to you."

After settling Madam Han down to sleep, Chen Qing quietly busied himself beside the small stove in the corner.

He carefully scraped away the Golden Horn Treasure Fish's fine scales, revealing delicate flesh within that glimmered pale gold.

The fish was not large, yet it was unusually heavy.

He placed the cleaned fish into an earthenware pot and filled it with clear river water.

A small flame licked at the stove. Before long, an indescribable, strange fragrance began to spread, overwhelming the usual fishy smell and damp vapor inside the cabin.

The scent was sweet, mellow, and rich, seeping into the skin and reaching deep into the lungs and organs, stirring one's Qi and Blood faintly.

The soup in the earthenware pot quickly turned milky white and thick, like jade nectar and liquid ambrosia. Within it, several fine golden threads drifted faintly in and out of sight.

Chen Qing ladled out a small spoonful and took a sip.

A scalding current of heat erupted in an instant and swept through his entire body.

His Qi and Blood churned and surged like boiling water.

"No wonder it's a Treasure Fish. Its effects are more than three times better than Blood Vitality Pills."

A sharp gleam appeared in Chen Qing's eyes. With the strength of his Qi and Blood now, practicing stance work tomorrow would definitely yield twice the result with half the effort—perhaps even three times the result.

One round of training would be equivalent to three rounds before.

Chen Qing thought to himself, If I had enough of this fish, perhaps I could attempt the three breakthroughs in less than a year.

Of course, that was only a thought.

This Treasure Fish was exceedingly valuable. Taking it every day was a treatment even the direct descendants of Gaolin County's Five Great Clans did not enjoy.

"Hu—!"

Chen Qing slowly exhaled a scorching breath.

The cabin fell silent, with only the river waves gently slapping against the hull.

He walked to the bed, bent down, and pulled out a blackened booklet from the deepest part beneath the bedboards. He opened it to a freshly folded page.

All emotion receded deep into Chen Qing's eyes without a ripple. He then picked up a brush and wrote Qin Lie's name.

Above Qin Lie's name, several names marked with red-ink crosses were listed conspicuously. One could vaguely make out names such as "Qian Biao" and "Song Tie."