Capture a Treasure Fish, Comprehension Panel!

"Three years—three whole years—and I've finally caught you!"

Liu Chu's eyes flashed with excitement as he stared intently at the scarlet carp in his hands.

The carp was red as jade from head to tail, its color vivid, its scales smooth, and its markings fine. A small horn of red jade sprouted from the top of its head, above its eyes, making it look extraordinarily divine.

It was a Treasure Fish!

Worth twenty or thirty taels of silver!

For the fishermen of Heilu Bay, catching one was like winning the lottery. In an instant, they could bring in more than ten taels of silver—enough to feed a family of three or four for several years.

As for why they didn't get twenty or thirty taels of silver, naturally, it was because half had to be offered to the Dragon King.

"Should I take it to a martial arts school and become a student, or offer it up directly to improve my comprehension..."

Liu Chu felt the Treasure Fish thrashing violently. His arm muscles trembled, and he hurriedly put it into his fish basket, pondering his options.

Without thinking, he opened his Attribute Panel:

Host: Liu Chu

Age: 17

Comprehension multiplier: 0x (Offering options: one Treasure Fish / ten taels of silver, one year of lifespan)

That was right—Liu Chu was a transmigrator.

He had been in this world for three years.

Three years ago, he had transmigrated into the body of another Liu Chu, who had died of a chill after spending too much time in the river catching fish.

He had also had a deadbeat father: a taciturn, honest man who knew nothing but fishing. He had worked himself to death trying to save up a bride price so Liu Chu could marry and have children, passing away a year after Liu Chu transmigrated.

From then on, Liu Chu had been all alone, with no one to rely on. He had become a lowly fisherman in another world.

Fortunately, over the past three years, the Attribute Panel he carried with him had filled him with hope for the future. The river's icy waters hadn't been enough to break him.

For three long years, he had saved silver to prepare for learning martial arts at a school, while searching for signs of Treasure Fish in Heilu Bay.

"In these three years, I've saved six taels of silver, but I'm still a long way from the twenty-tael enrollment fee..."

Liu Chu looked torn.

If he offered this Treasure Fish to the system, his comprehension would double immediately. He might not become a martial arts genius, but at the very least, he should have no trouble cultivating into a Grade-Entry Realm martial artist.

But if he did that, he would have only six taels of silver left—not nearly enough to study martial arts.

"Does that mean I'll have to keep saving for another three or five years..."

Liu Chu held his fish basket and gazed at the ceaseless current of Heilu Bay, his eyes flickering with indecision.

The river's current flowed gently through the bay, but hidden beneath its surface were surging waves. Small islands floated across the water in a disorderly patchwork, each overgrown with dense clumps of black reeds, like a sea of dark banners rolling over the land.

Heilu Bay had nurtured countless fishermen, but it had also claimed countless lives.

If he stayed in Heilu Bay another three or five years, Liu Chu wasn't sure he could withstand the damp chill and biting waters. He might well become one of the many fishermen buried in the bay.

"Forget it. I'll take the Treasure Fish to a martial arts school first. Maybe I was a buried martial arts genius all along. I might break through into the Grade-Entry Realm without improving my comprehension!"

"If I really can't break through, I can always offer ten taels of silver and a year of my lifespan to improve my comprehension!"

"As the old saying goes, if you lose your lifespan, there's always another life. But if you lose your money... then it's really gone!"

Liu Chu's gaze firmed, and he quickly made up his mind.

The offering scale didn't require a Treasure Fish in particular. It had two options; the other was [one year of lifespan, ten taels of silver].

"But I'm still short four taels. I'll have to ask A Qi. He should have four taels..."

Liu Chu opened the hidden compartment beneath the fish basket and put the Treasure Fish inside, then dumped the other fish he'd caught that day on top.

That way, no one could tell there was a Treasure Fish in the basket.

It was a specially modified fish basket he had prepared long ago, in case the Golden Fish Gang forced him to hand over half his Treasure Fish to offer to some damned Dragon King.

"Dragon King, my ass. A little shallow stretch of water like Heilu Bay couldn't possibly be home to a Dragon King..."

They called it offering sacrifices to the Dragon King, but in reality, it was nothing more than a way to line their pockets.

Liu Chu knew it, and so did all the fishermen. But the Golden Fish Gang was too powerful, and no one dared to resist.

Of course, Liu Chu wasn't about to hand over a Treasure Fish he had caught.

So he had prepared a basket with a hidden compartment long ago, all for the day this finally happened.

Carrying his fish basket, he rowed his skiff and soon reached the shore.

The Golden Fish Gang had long since set up a checkpoint on the banks of Heilu Bay. All the catches had to be inspected by the gang, who took half.

"A Chu, why're you back so early today? Did you catch something good?"

After Liu Chu came ashore, a man from the Golden Fish Gang soon walked up to him, smiling as he glanced at his basket.

"Ah, what good stuff could I have caught? My haul's tiny today, and fish prices have dropped. Figured I might as well rest early. When the waves pick up tomorrow and prices go up, I'll work harder..."

Liu Chu replied with a smile. He handled the Golden Fish Gang with practiced ease.

"True enough. Fishing's all at the mercy of the weather."

The gang member agreed and instinctively reached out to take the fish basket.

"A Qi!"

Liu Chu suddenly called out, looking toward Han Qi as he approached from farther away.

"Brother Qi's here too?"

The Golden Fish Gang member turned to look and saw a burly young man with a black saber slung at his side hurrying over. He promptly greeted him.

"Ah Sheng, I need to talk with A Chu. Go on and get back to work."

Han Qi spoke to the Golden Fish Gang man with a stern expression.

"Sure thing. Then I'll leave it to you to check A Chu's catch, Brother Qi."

Ah Sheng didn't suspect anything. He turned and headed toward another fisherman. His manner toward the other fishermen was noticeably different, however: his tone was brusque, nothing like the courtesy he had shown Liu Chu.

It was all because of Han Qi!

"A Qi, go ahead and check it!"

Liu Chu passed him the basket with a smile, looking perfectly at ease.

Han Qi took the basket and examined the catch. He hefted it, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

He handed the basket back to Liu Chu and murmured, "You did it, you little rascal!?"

Liu Chu nodded.

Like Liu Chu, Han Qi had been born a fisherman. Just by lifting the basket and weighing it in his hand, he could tell its weight was off. There was no hiding it from him.

But he and Han Qi were as thick as brothers.

There was no need to hide it from him; in fact, Liu Chu needed Han Qi's help to keep the Golden Fish Gang's eyes off him.

A surge of joy welled up in Han Qi's heart. He was genuinely happy for his good brother, and led Liu Chu to the fish pen up ahead.

As usual, he casually tossed a few small, low-value fish into the pen.

The fish-pen keeper was sprawled in a high-backed armchair. Seeing Han Qi weighing the fish, he narrowed his eyes and didn't bother to do it himself.

Han Qi held a respectable position in the Golden Fish Gang. He had once studied martial arts at a school in the inner city, and later caught the eye of a hall master in the gang.

After checking the catch, Han Qi waved Liu Chu on. "All done. Go sell your fish in the inner city. Remember to come back early. It's been a while since the two of us had a drink."

"Sure. I'll definitely have a proper drink with you when I get back!"

Liu Chu carried his fish basket with a broad smile and an easy stride as he passed through the checkpoint and headed toward the inner city.

Han Qi was a good friend of his. They had grown up together and were as thick as brothers.

Later, Han Qi had gotten incredibly lucky and accidentally caught a Treasure Fish. With enough money for tuition, he had resolutely joined a martial arts school to study.

Unfortunately, in the end, he hadn't managed to break through.

Still, he was stronger than most ordinary people, which had caught the eye of a hall master in the Golden Fish Gang, who had taken him under his wing.

Han Qi had helped Liu Chu catch this Treasure Fish, too.

The stretch of water where Liu Chu had caught it was the very place where Han Qi had caught his own Treasure Fish. Han Qi had told him about it in private.

Generally speaking, a stretch of water where Treasure Fish had appeared before was more likely to yield another.

For three years, Liu Chu had often fished in that spot. Luckily, fortune had favored him, and at last he had caught a Treasure Fish.

Now, like Han Qi, he could enter the inner city and offer his Treasure Fish to a martial arts school in exchange for a chance to study.