Treasures Turned to Coin, a New Ship Acquired

The Sea Swallow dragged its heavy haul slowly back to the Iron Clothes Village pier beneath the golden radiance of the setting sun.

The ship sat extremely deep in the water, and even the waves it cleaved carried a weighty, leaden feel.

When that enormous Arrow Bone Fish carcass was laboriously dragged ashore with thick hemp ropes and rolling logs by the combined efforts of the men, the entire fishing village erupted in commotion.

Its savage giant head, its broken yet still razor-sharp Bone Spikes, and the faint bloody menace it radiated even in death all shattered the villagers' understanding.

Fishermen crowded in from every direction. As they looked at the ferocious Sea Beast and Chen Yuan beside it—calm and imposing, without a single hair harmed—cries of amazement, discussions, and envious remarks rose one after another.

"Good heavens! It really is an Arrow Bone Fish! That thing can ram straight through a ship's planks!"

"Look at those bone spears—they fetch a high price even in the city!"

"The Chen Family's eldest son... he's truly incredible now."

"I heard even the martial arts school instructors praised him as a genius. Seems it wasn't empty praise after all."

The Chen Family members who rushed over upon hearing the news naturally held their heads high, basking in reflected glory.

Old Master Chen Tie Mao gave orders with steady assurance, every wrinkle on his face spreading open in delight.

Chen Dahai tried hard to keep a stern face, but he simply could not suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth. Lin Sanniang held Xiao Li's hand, looking at her son with both lingering fear and immense pride.

Under Chen Tie Mao's arrangements, the Arrow Bone Fish carcass was carefully butchered. Chen Yuan led several strong young men from the clan to stand watch in shifts, keeping the torches burning through the night to prevent petty thieves from coveting it. The thing was far too valuable to permit even the slightest mishap.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still gray, Chen Yuan set out to sea again with his father Chen Dahai and his Second Uncle Chen Dajiang aboard the Sea Swallow—their destination this time was Haifeng Port, the largest dock in the county seat.

The ship carried the most valuable parts of the Arrow Bone Fish: seven or eight intact Azure Back Spine Bone Spears, its heart's Essence Blood sealed in thick ceramic jars, its massive gallbladder, and the most complete, toughest scales. Everything was carefully loaded and covered in wet seaweed to preserve its freshness.

As for the fish meat, ordinary bones, and scattered scales, Chen Tie Mao took Uncle Lin and the others to handle them while they were still fresh, selling them overnight to familiar fish shops.

Even so, those thousand-pound "scraps" sold for nearly a hundred taels of silver. For the Chen Family, whose yearly surplus had normally amounted to no more than a dozen taels, it was already an enormous fortune.

By the time the Sea Swallow reached the port of Lin Hai County, the sun was high. Carriages rolled through the harbor, and people flowed like weaving threads.

The three did not head for the noisy Fish Market or iron shops in the south of the city. Instead, they hired a carriage straight to an antique yet modest shop in the western district, beneath the signboard of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Chen Yuan had come here before with an instructor from the school; its prices were the most generous and honest.

The surroundings were quiet and elegant, and most of those coming and going were respectably dressed.

The shopkeeper was Elder Ge, an old man with a goatee and shrewd eyes. The moment he saw the Arrow Bone Fish materials—especially those several flawless back spines gleaming with an azure chill—his eyes flashed brilliantly. He hurriedly invited the three into the inner hall for detailed discussion.

Calming incense burned in the inner hall. Shopkeeper Ge put on silk gloves and took up a jade ruler, carefully examining every piece of material, especially the integrity of the bone spears, the richness of their chill, and the quality of the gallbladder.

"The roots of the bone spears bear slight cracks, likely caused during the fight... The Essence Blood was extracted a little late, so some spiritual energy has dispersed... These scales are rather good..." Shopkeeper Ge commented softly as he inspected them. He seemed to be picking faults, yet the satisfaction in his eyes could not be concealed.

Such complete Arrow Bone Fish materials were rarely seen.

The bargaining that followed was even more intense. But once Chen Yuan invoked the name of the Blackwater Martial Arts School, Shopkeeper Ge's attitude grew noticeably more serious.

In the end, the materials sold for the high price of three hundred and eighty taels of silver!

Several bone spears were valued at one hundred and fifty taels, the heart's Essence Blood at fifty taels, the gallbladder at eighty taels, and the scales at one hundred taels.

When three one-hundred-tael silver notes and a bag containing eighty taels in silver were placed in Chen Dahai's hands, the weathered man's hands trembled so badly that he could barely hold them.

Three hundred and eighty taels! This was a fortune the Chen Family could not have saved even in ten years—or perhaps longer.

Second Uncle Chen Dajiang stared wide-eyed, breathing rapidly and swallowing again and again. He subconsciously looked around, terrified that someone might have their eye on them.

Chen Yuan, however, remained quite calm. The price fell within his expectations.

Had he not killed this Arrow Bone Fish alone, had the materials not been preserved so perfectly, and had the Hundred Treasures Pavilion not valued him as a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist with considerable potential, the price would likely have been ten or twenty percent lower.

Their next goal was to dispose of the old Sea Swallow. Though it had seen many years, its Dragon Bone was sturdy and it had been maintained reasonably well. They went directly to the small ship trading market by the docks.

Before coming, Chen Yuan had also mentioned to his grandfather that there was no need to sell the Sea Swallow. Raising a little more silver was no hardship for him. Yet Old Master Chen merely shook his head without a word.

After an appraisal and some haggling, the Sea Swallow was ultimately sold for sixty taels in cash to a father and son who had just scraped together enough money to enter the trade. The joy they displayed after buying the ship felt like the turning of a wheel.

Watching his father sign the transfer papers with a trace of reluctance, Chen Yuan gently patted his shoulder.

With that, along with the nearly hundred taels earned from selling the ordinary parts, the Chen Family now had more than five hundred taels of silver in hand! Chen Yuan set his sights on a Magic Ship inscribed with basic Speed Enhancement and Fortification Runes.

Such ships were nearly fifty percent faster than ordinary fishing vessels. They could reach the fishing grounds more quickly and were also more likely to escape danger when bad weather struck, making them immensely practical for fishermen.

But they were also extremely expensive, with prices generally starting at five hundred taels.

After Chen Tie Mao learned the news, he made a special trip to the county seat himself the next day and took Chen Yuan and the others through several shipyards around the county.

In the end, at the most reputable Myriad Treasures Shipyard, Chen Tie Mao set his eyes on a Wave Rider Shuttle moored in the Inner Dock, waiting quietly for a buyer.

The ship was about ten zhang long and more than two zhang wide, nearly twice the size of the Sea Swallow. Its streamlined hull was made from hard Iron Fir Wood, dark brown in color, with grain packed as tightly as iron.

Simple wave-breaking patterns were carved into its prow, while the lines of its hull were sleek and graceful.

Most eye-catching of all were the two clear, profound Runes below the waterline on either side of the hull, inscribed in a strange azure pigment—the basic Speed Enhancement and Fortification Runes.

"This is the one!" Chen Tie Mao stroked the cold rail, his eyes shining. "Black Iron Fir timber, and at least thirty-year-old stock at that. The Dragon Bone is thick and straight, the joints use fish glue mixed with copper nails—solid. This rudder is made from Blackheart Wood, steady. The foundation is excellent!"

Dockmaster Zhao, Zhao Wanshan, was a well-known ship merchant in the county, and his news traveled fast. Naturally, he had heard of Chen Yuan's reputation. Seeing Chen Yuan arrive with his family, he greeted them with a smile.

"Young Brother Chen, you truly have a good eye! Young and accomplished—Instructor Zhang mentioned you to me just the other day, saying you are future pillar material for the Blackwater Martial Arts School."

Zhao Wanshan was a kind-faced middle-aged man. His gaze swept over Chen Yuan's youthful face, and his smile deepened. "Since a brother from the martial arts school has taken a liking to it, I, Old Zhao, will naturally give you the best possible price."

He pointed at the Wave Rider Shuttle. "This vessel is made of Black Iron Fir, absolutely reliable. A little maintenance is all it needs before it can set sail. It was originally priced at five hundred and twenty taels, but if Young Brother Chen wants it, let's round it off—five hundred taels! As for future Rune maintenance and hull upkeep, I'll give you twenty percent off across the board."

This was at least forty or fifty taels cheaper than comparable ships on the market, and Zhao Wanshan's reputation was solid. After carefully inspecting it from the side, Chen Tie Mao gave a slight nod.

After a brief consideration, Chen Yuan cupped his hands. "Dockmaster Zhao is straightforward. Then I thank you. We'll take this Wave Rider Shuttle. However, we also need some new fishing nets and spare sails. I wonder if your shipyard has..."

"Easy, easy! I'll charge you all at cost!" Zhao Wanshan waved a hand grandly.

The transaction proceeded very smoothly.

Chen Yuan paid three hundred taels in silver notes on the spot, agreeing to settle the remaining two hundred taels in full when the ship was delivered three days later.

Of course, Instructor Zhang and the martial arts school's reputation played a part. But Chen Yuan's own status as a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist, along with his formidable feat of hunting an Arrow Bone Fish alone, was the most important reason the other party treated him with such courtesy.

Strength brought respect—and tangible convenience.

Behind them, Chen Tie Mao watched Zhao Wanshan speak with Chen Yuan as an equal and saw the respect shown toward Chen Yuan by the shipyard craftsmen. His expression was complicated, filled with both comfort and emotion.

He sighed quietly to Chen Dahai, "When I took you to buy the Sea Swallow back then, we couldn't even enter the Inner Dock. We could only pick from whatever others had passed over outside... and we still had to watch the steward's face... But now... Yuan's truly made something of himself. Our Chen Family... has finally endured until the clouds broke..."

Chen Dahai nodded heavily. Looking at the son standing before him, who had grown ever taller, his eyes brimmed with pride and hope.