North Domain.
Bubbles drifted faintly.
Two Pufferfish wagged their tails as they patrolled their territory.
"What happened to the boss? We haven't seen hide nor scale of him for months. Could he have made a major breakthrough in cultivation?"
"No idea. Anyway, he's been refusing visitors for half a year."
"Refusing visitors for half a year... Hey, I heard the Da Shun Imperial Court's merchant caravan was attacked a while ago and suffered terrible losses. Do you think it could have been..."
"Shh, watch your words. Don't go talking nonsense..." One of the Pufferfish was about to continue, but caution suddenly seized it. It instinctively looked around, only for a glance from its peripheral vision to actually catch something. It immediately cut itself off and shouted, "Hey! You fat-tailed fish! Sneaking around near our Pufferfish Tribe—what are you doing?"
Splash! In the swamp, a fish tail wagged, and a radish sprang from the earth, flinging up a vast cloud of mud and black mist.
Fat-tailed fish? Another idiot who can't tell fat from strong.
Fat Catfish was displeased, utterly contemptuous of the Pufferfish's intelligence. But remembering its arduous mission, it wagged its tail and squeezed out an honest, simple smile.
After a while.
The two Pufferfish were only half-convinced.
"You want to join our Pufferfish Tribe?"
Fat Catfish nodded vigorously, whiskers swaying as it looked up at the moon and complained about its miserable life in its former tribe.
Its tribe leader was narrow-minded, jealous of the worthy and capable, and constantly ostracized it—an innate talent so handsome and dashing. It could not eat its fill or sleep peacefully each day, and had wasted away by an entire circle. Left with no choice, it had come out to seek another path in life. Hearing that the Jianghuai Pufferfish Tribe was