Diving for Clams

"Whew!"

Two hours later, Hong Ming exhaled a breath of foul air and slowly came to a stop like a deflated ball.

He was tired yet happy. The combined effects of Cure-All and Breathing and Exhalation were astonishing, reducing medicinal effects that normally took days to exhaust to just two hours.

The benefit was that two short hours of cultivation rivaled two full days, and his Coiling Dragon Stake experience had surged by ten points!

The drawback was that his body felt completely hollowed out, leaving him without even the strength to raise a hand.

Fortunately, this kind of depletion carried no side effects. He only needed extra rest to recover.

"At this rate, I might actually fulfill the Fate Grid requirements!"

Hong Ming calculated silently, his eyes flickering.

"The prerequisite is having enough Blood-Qi Medicine. I must take at least one dose every day for there to be any hope!"

His brow furrowed slightly. One dose a day meant thirty doses a month.

That was a full fifteen taels of silver—more than the enormous debt he already owed!

There was still no sign of those ten taels, and now another fifteen-tael burden had been added. Hong Ming felt rather heavy-hearted.

A moment later, he drove away his worries. With the Entry Panel by his side, it was not as though he had no chance of completing the task.

If he could solidify another Trait like Wealth Flowing In, or certain Traits that could improve cultivation efficiency, the difficulty would lessen considerably.

"This afternoon, I'll check out the Chen Family Water Farm that A Qiang introduced me to. I need to earn more money in case of emergencies."

Hong Ming closed his eyes to rest. Now that he could see hope, even resting filled him with strength.

Half an incense stick later, Hong Ming had recovered seven or eight parts out of ten. He first went to the Dining Hall for lunch, then headed straight for the Chen Family Water Farm.

The Chen Family Water Farm lay south of the city. Though it was not beside the Huai River like the Water Army Garrison, waterways still crisscrossed the area, with ponds and lakes stretching in clusters.

Several tributaries extending from the Huai River wound through the land. After years of management by the Chen Family, they had created dozens of clam lakes and fishponds, large and small.

The job Hong Ming sought was at the Chen Family's Number Nine Clam Lake, where the waters were broad and misty.

From afar, it seemed entwined with the pale indigo hills, the mountains and waters leaning against one another to reflect a unique scenery.

Many small wooden boats and clam-gathering rafts were moored by the lake. Porters and boatmen constantly came and went, their shouts mingling with the sound of oars cutting through the water, making the place exceptionally lively.

Following Su Qiang's instructions, Hong Ming found a man dressed in Chen Family attire and asked about work.

"Here for clam gathering? You're late. We've already filled all the openings recently. Come back next time." After learning why he was there, the man dismissed Hong Ming.

Hong Ming remained unmoved and explained that Su Qiang had referred him.

The Chen Family man pondered briefly, then left behind a sentence before departing. "Wait here. I'll go ask the steward."

Before long, he returned with a middle-aged man, pointed at Hong Ming, and spoke to him in a low voice, seemingly making an introduction.

The middle-aged man looked at Hong Ming and asked, "Su Qiang sent you?"

Hong Ming nodded lightly.

The other man did not fully believe him and questioned him repeatedly. Only after verifying his identity did he acknowledge him. "Since Su Qiang referred you, come with me."

Clearly, Su Qiang had already spoken to him beforehand.

Hong Ming answered and followed. Along the way, he learned that the man was named Chen Shan, one of the stewards at this water farm.

"Sun Dazhuang, come here and show the newcomer the ropes."

Chen Shan called over a dark-skinned man, intending for him to guide Hong Ming.

Hearing this, Sun Dazhuang strode over quickly. He glanced at Hong Ming, saw that his build was decent enough, and agreed with a light laugh.

"Hong Ming, from here on, just listen to Sun Dazhuang. He's an old hand at our water farm." Chen Shan left after saying that.

Sun Dazhuang turned to Hong Ming and asked, "Hong Ming, how are you in the water? How many zhang can you dive at most? How long can you hold your breath?"

These were all important questions, directly related to clam gathering and not to be overlooked.

"I can dive ten zhang at most, and hold my breath for thirty breaths." After giving it some thought, Hong Ming answered honestly.

Sun Dazhuang was fairly satisfied upon hearing this. "Then you can gather clams in both the outer and middle zones. Let's head directly to the middle zone."

With that, he brought Hong Ming to collect a boat, which the Chen Family provided for free.

After boarding, Hong Ming voluntarily took over the oars, earning repeated nods from Sun Dazhuang.

As they traveled, Sun Dazhuang did not forget to introduce the situation at Number Nine Clam Lake.

The lake was divided into four main areas: the outer zone, middle zone, inner zone, and core zone.

Aside from the core zone, which they were forbidden to enter, they could go anywhere else.

The outer zone was the largest, drew the most people, and was the safest. The middle zone came next, while only seasoned hands with exceptional water skills and extensive experience dared enter the inner zone.

Number Nine Clam Lake looked calm and peaceful on the surface, but hidden currents churned beneath. The farther inward and deeper one went, the more dangerous it became.

After the simple introduction, he told Hong Ming the various rules for gathering clams. There were mainly two that mattered:

First, newcomers had to give experienced hands half a tenth of their earnings, a requirement waived once they could gather clams independently.

Second, after clam gathering ended, they could not conceal any of their haul. They either had to trade it with the Chen Family or sell it at the Chen Family Fish Market.

One protected the interests of experienced hands guiding newcomers, while the other protected the Chen Family's interests.

Hong Ming committed these rules to memory and asked about the earnings.

"That depends on the quality and quantity of the Clam Pearls you gather. The Chen Family divides Clam Pearls into lower, middle, and upper grades according to quality. Lower-grade Scattered Light Pearls have many flaws and poor luster; middle-grade Moist Light Pearls have passable flaws and quality; upper-grade Condensed Light Pearls are nearly flawless and possess full, rich luster..." Sun Dazhuang explained at length.

Besides quality grades, Clam Pearls were also classified by size. From small to large, their prices rose level by level.

After finishing his explanation, Sun Dazhuang took time to lead Hong Ming through two practical drills in the outer zone.

He both gauged Hong Ming's underwater skills and explained some basic clam-gathering techniques and the habits of various Pearl Clams.

"Hong Ming, I've told you everything I need to. Try diving down to gather clams on your own. If anything feels wrong, don't force yourself."

Sun Dazhuang brought Hong Ming to the proper clam-gathering grounds and gave him a solemn warning.

This place was unlike their earlier location. Opportunity and danger existed side by side here; one careless misstep could lead to trouble.

Hong Ming nodded gravely and agreed. He took a deep breath, then leaped into the water.

The icy lake water wrapped around his entire body, muffling the sounds around him into a blur. Hong Ming held his breath, and after his eyes adjusted, he slowly opened them.

The underwater world unfolded before him like a painting. Sunlight shattered through the surface into streaks of golden radiance, spreading out and swaying beneath the lake.

Fish, insects, crabs, and shrimp—some familiar, some unknown—darted through the water, sketching out a mysterious and abundant underwater world.

Though Hong Ming had come primarily to gather clams, he did not forget to search for Traits. His palm lightly touched fish large and small as they passed by.

The sounds of Traits appearing rose and fell in his mind like alarm bells.

[Trait: Angler's Sorrow]

[Status: Can Be Solidified]

[Required Fortune: 1 point]

[Solidification Effect: Mom will never have to worry about me being lured away by anglers again.]

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