Fat Catfish

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Fat Catfish (肥鲶鱼)
Alias(es)	A Fei; Ferocious Fang Military Advisor; Ferocious Fang General; Black Whirlwind / Black Big Fish; “Legless Frog” (cover identity) 284 750 977 988
Species/Race	Ink Tiger Flood Dragon Catfish; formerly a Six-Whiskered Catfish 9 1044
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Liang Qu’s commanded Water Beasts; Great Huai Army; associated with the Pufferfish Tribe 9 1062
Occupation/Role	Scout, Treasure Fish hunter, infiltrator, construction foreman, and overseer of Outpost Canyon 120 798 874 1062
Status	Active; nearing another evolution 1086
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Six-Whiskered Catfish	9	Liang Qu subdues him through a River Flow Talisman, blood, and a Mental Link. The Ze Cauldron identifies a future evolution into a Tiger-Head Catfish.
Tiger-Head Catfish	96	Evolves through the Ze Cauldron; reaches 5.6 meters, develops an ink-wash coloration and tiger-like jaws, and gains a vibration attack that can stun fish.
Second evolution	154	Cockscomb Fruits trigger another transformation, enlarging his body and strengthening his muscles, bones, fins, and ink-black markings.
Tiger Flood Dragon Catfish / Hunting Tiger realm	750	Receives 74,000 Marsh Essence alongside the title Ferocious Fang Military Advisor. Unlocks five ink-and-mist-related talents.
Peak Hunting Tiger	796	Consumes 120,000 Marsh Essence to advance from mid-stage to peak Hunting Tiger; his five existing talents become markedly stronger.
Ink Tiger Flood Dragon Catfish / Great Demon	1044 1062	Evolves after sufficient Marsh Essence is gathered through offerings and influence in the Great Huai Army. He is subsequently described as having been promoted to Great Demon.

History

Liang Qu encountered Fat Catfish as a powerful Six-Whiskered Catfish in the river. The catfish resisted the taming process fiercely enough to injure and nearly overwhelm Liang Qu mentally, but the Mental Link was ultimately established; afterward, betrayal became impossible. Liang Qu named him A Fei and immediately put his immense mouth and hunting ability to work catching fish discreetly for sale. 9

A Fei quickly became essential to Liang Qu’s livelihood. He and Cannot Move could catch more than a hundred coins’ worth of fish in half a day, while A Fei’s ability to locate Treasure Fish helped Liang Qu secure Tiger Head Groupers and other valuable catches. Feeding on Treasure Fish remains accelerated his growth far beyond that of an ordinary catfish. 9 17

After evolving into a Tiger-Head Catfish, A Fei became an imposing ink-colored Water Beast with a 5.6-meter body, flowing fins, tiger-like teeth, high swimming speed, and a fish-stunning vibration attack. Despite his power, he remained conspicuously poor at camouflage, once burying himself in mud while leaving his entire back exposed. 43 96

While exploring under Liang Qu’s orders, A Fei was swept through a violent undercurrent into the Deep Water Area, where he discovered a sunken ship and encountered the gigantic Toad. He was initially terrified and captured, but he survived by attempting to communicate and bargain. This encounter began his long involvement with Toad Cave and the Frog Clan. 120 121

Toad later presented A Fei as a “Legless Frog” sent to scout beyond the Great Marsh, a fabricated identity that allowed him to move among the Frog Clan. He subsequently worked undercover in their territory, gathered intelligence, obtained a Toad Skin Coat, and took on renovation work for Frog King and other frogs in exchange for Treasure Fish. 284 437 769

A Fei’s social maneuvering also benefited Liang Qu. He persuaded the Dragonfolk brothers Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe that Liang Qu could enlighten beings of any aquatic species, helping keep them near Liang Qu rather than abandoning the South Bank in search of the Dragon Lord Reincarnation. 400

Liang Qu formally named him Ferocious Fang Military Advisor after acknowledging both his repeated merits and his many faults. The accompanying evolution granted A Fei a suite of ink-and-mist talents; he later reached peak Hunting Tiger after accumulating an exceptional 120,000 Marsh Essence through Frog Clan construction work and patronage. 750 796

A Fei infiltrated the Pufferfish Tribe by posing as a hungry, ostracized Demon Beast. He successfully earned their trust, inspired them before an ambush against the Dog Head Fish Tribe, and later penetrated the Northern Fish Clan and Dragon Palace networks to gather information for Liang Qu. 874 875 891 892

Following his transformation into a humanoid Fish Monster, A Fei gained the title Ferocious Fang General. He rose further within the Great Huai Army, becoming the fish in charge of Outpost Canyon and using his position to bring Pufferfish Tribe members into military work and secure their rations. 977 1062

Appearance

In beast form, A Fei is a massive black-backed, white-bellied catfish whose body resembles a bold ink-brush stroke. His smooth, elastic skin is unusually tough; his long whiskers, broad fins, and tail resemble spreading ink wash when he moves through water. 750

After taking humanoid form, he becomes a two-zhang-tall fish-man with a huge torso, thick and short limbs, webbed hands and feet, a tail, long whiskers, and a conspicuous belly. He has no visible neck and is described as both imposing and simple-looking. 977

• Initially grew from just over two meters to roughly 2.3–2.4 meters after consuming Treasure Fish remains. 17
• Exceeded three meters before his first major evolution. 43
• Reached 5.6 meters as a Tiger-Head Catfish. 96
• Can reduce his body size with Wishful when entering smaller waterways or surfacing near Liang Qu’s residence. 796 976
• His beast form is broad, soft, and stable enough for Liang Qu and Old Toad to ride. 750

Personality

A Fei is food-motivated, vain, and highly self-satisfied. He consistently rejects being called “fat,” insisting that his size is strength rather than obesity, and he often imagines himself to be exceptionally handsome, wise, and favored by the heavenly god. 400 874 751

He is also impulsive and foolish in obvious ways: he exposes himself while attempting to hide, bullies weaker creatures, and has been punished for sneaking into Old Toad’s home. Liang Qu explicitly describes him as greedy, foolish, sly, extravagant, wasteful, and prone to stirring trouble. 43 431 750

Beneath those flaws, A Fei is loyal to Liang Qu and surprisingly capable at persuasion, infiltration, and managing other Water Beasts. He can play the role of a sincere, righteous leader convincingly enough to inspire the Pufferfish Tribe and gain broad prestige within the Great Huai Army. 750 875 1062

Abilities & Skills

Open Mouth Wide

A Fei’s original hunting method is a powerful suction attack that lets him swallow or gather many small fish at once without visibly damaging them. This made him particularly valuable for Liang Qu’s early fishing business. 9

• Catches large quantities of fish without leaving suspicious wounds. 9
• His huge mouth and innate hunting ability make ordinary Treasure Fish difficult to escape. 571
• Uses whiskers as additional tools to seize prey, including crabs hiding in mud burrows. 356

Vibration Attack

After evolving into a Tiger-Head Catfish, A Fei gained the ability to emit an unseen ripple from his mouth that stuns nearby fish. 96

• Can make fish roll over and float belly-up. 96
• Its upper limit against stronger targets was initially unknown to Liang Qu. 96

Ink-Wash Talents

A Fei’s advancement as the Ferocious Fang Military Advisor granted him five talents themed around ink, mist, and calligraphy. 750

• Flourishing Ink Splash — Produces drifting black smoke or ink-like effects around his body. 751
• Ink Wash Doppelganger — A documented innate talent. 750
• Gathering and Scattering Formlessness — A documented innate talent associated with his mist-like transformations. 750
• Mist Stream — Creates raging currents and undercurrents that can trap beasts; prolonged use can establish lasting dark currents around a lair. 751
• Ink Sea — Spreads an ink-like field that hinders enemies as though they are trapped in mud, while allowing A Fei to move freely within it. 751

Speed, Mist Form, and Concealment

A Fei is an exceptionally fast swimmer, once described as black lightning beneath the water. He can also turn into black mist and possesses a Concealment talent useful for espionage. 98 430 797

• Can outrun and exhaust large fish through repeated harassment. 98
• Uses mist form to vanish after displaying his strength. 430
• Successfully infiltrated both the Pufferfish Tribe and Northern Fish Clan. 874 891

Construction and Renovation

A Fei and Fist form a construction team known as Fat Clan Heavy Industries. Fist softens soil and handles heavy excavation, while A Fei uses water and ink-based abilities to shape and finish the work. 798

• Renovated Frog King’s cave from a rough dwelling into a smoother, more attractive residence. 769
• Took commissions from other frogs in exchange for Treasure Fish, though he accepted more deposits than he could promptly complete. 769 796
• Used his Earth-Wood Saint Body to achieve significant renovation results in Frog King’s dwelling. 769

Equipment / Items

• Bamboo fish basket — Worn around his neck while collecting crabs. 356
• Toad Skin Coat — A semi-transparent membrane obtained while operating within the Frog Clan. 437
• Wishful — Enables him to reduce his enormous body size for travel through smaller waterways. 796 976

Relationships

• Liang Qu — Master and “heavenly god.” Liang Qu subdued A Fei, established the Mental Link, oversaw his evolutions, and personally helped him take humanoid form. 9 750 977
• Cannot Move — Fellow commanded Water Beast and frequent hunting partner. The two caught fish and Treasure Fish together from their earliest days. 9 17
• Fist — Construction partner and occasional rival. Their complementary earth-and-water talents make them a formidable work crew. 76 797 798
• Toad — Deep Water Area ruler who first captured A Fei, later sheltered him through the “Legless Frog” cover story and accepted his service around Toad Cave. 121 284 290
• Old Toad — Frog Clan elder who harshly punished A Fei for attempting to sneak into his home. 431
• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe — Dragonfolk brothers whom A Fei persuaded to consider serving Liang Qu for their race’s survival. 400
• Round Head — Fellow Water Beast and competitor for Treasure Fish, essence, and Liang Qu’s rewards. 406 589
• Little Mirage Dragon — Competitive rival who reacted with disbelief when A Fei advanced ahead of him. 796
• Pufferfish Tribe — A Fei infiltrated the tribe, earned its trust, led it in battle, and later arranged work and rations for its members at Outpost Canyon. 874 875 1062

Notable Quotes

“To know kindness yet not repay it was to be unworthy of being a fish of the river!” 1062

“Seventy-thirty!” 798

Trivia

• A Fei considers “fat” an insult and repeatedly insists that he is strong, handsome, and majestic instead. 400 874
• His long whiskers are expressive enough to function as gestures during conversations with other Water Beasts. 76 400
• He was mistakenly treated as a frog within the Frog Clan due to Toad’s fabricated “Legless Frog” identity. 284 431
• He once misappropriated Marsh Essence intended for Fist’s evolution, causing Liang Qu to discover a funding shortfall. 893
• Among the Great Huai Army’s fishfolk, he is praised as a loyal, talented, righteous figure known as Black Whirlwind, despite outsiders suspecting that his apparent loyalty conceals opportunism. 988 1082