The sky was dimly lit by silver light, illuminating the mudflats and the woman wrapped in black cloth inside the wooden hut.
There weren't many women on the mudflats, but there were some. Some had steady battle qi and could gather ore, while others relied on men. She was different from them all. Her injuries had left her battle qi unstable, and her appearance drove away every man who came near her. Only Big Black was the exception.
Knock, knock, knock.
"It's me. I caught two more fish," Big Black called. His voice was weary, and he was panting heavily.
The woman wrapped in black cloth was surprised. The mudflats were especially dangerous tonight because someone had died. The smell of blood would attract powerful creatures from the star river, so usually, whenever someone died, no one dared fish at night for at least three days. Big Black was certainly ruthless.
"For your sake, I've saved up five fish. The master of the Three Absolute Heavenly Gate specifically stocked this stretch of the star river with them. They're supposedly from an ancient era and can stabilize battle qi in the body and heal injuries. Only the people who gather the most ore get rewarded with them. I caught five for you, and I nearly got myself killed. You owe me an explanation," Big Black growled.
The woman's voice grew even hoarser. "I never asked you to catch them. Eat them yourself. Get out."
Furious, Big Black shoved open the wooden door and glared at the woman beneath the black cloth with vicious, feral eyes. "I've had enough. Ever since I recognized you, I've been helping you. When you couldn't complete your task, I helped make up the difference. When you were injured, I went fishing for you. When someone threatened