Uninvited Guest

"How is this possible?"

Witnessing the outcome, Zhou Zheng's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

His dark cheeks stung as if slapped by reality, burning with a fiery red heat.

Wang Jiu, who had been so confident of victory just moments ago, now stood frozen, his expression rigid as a clay statue.

The members of the Second Team stared blankly at the arrow in the distance, unable to snap out of their stupor for a long time.

The smiles had not vanished; they had simply migrated to the faces of the Third Team.

Shen Lin gripped his bow tightly, his mind replaying the shot Hong Ming had just made.

He pondered it repeatedly, comparing it in detail, only to reach a conclusion that left him feeling nearly desperate.

With his current archery skills, he was completely incapable of firing a shot of such high caliber!

"We won?"

Yu Bin blinked, as if asking himself, or perhaps asking the others.

No one responded; the crowd had yet to accept such an unexpected result.

"Entry-level archery!"

Li Mo's gaze shifted, flashing with surprise.

That shot Hong Ming had just made had absolutely reached the level of entry-level Piercing Willow Archery.

Perhaps even surpassed it!

Especially the ability to achieve such a two-for-one result—it required astonishing judgment.

Only now did he realize, belatedly, that this kid Hong Ming had silently cultivated Piercing Willow Archery to the entry level!

No wonder he had managed to stand out and hit the Treasure Fish.

He had initially thought it was luck, but now it seemed it was mostly skill.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but clap in approval.

He then looked at Wang Jiu and said in a deep voice, "Wang Jiu, the outcome is decided. What else do you have to say?"

With matters having reached this point, Wang Jiu had nothing to say; he let out a cold snort and flicked his sleeves as he departed.

Hong Ming returned to his own boat as if he had successfully fulfilled his mission.

He was greeted by unprecedented enthusiasm from the members of the Treasure Fish Team.

Every word they spoke highlighted the exquisite nature of Hong Ming's skill and the brilliance of his performance.

His victory had truly vented their pent-up frustrations!

"Hong Ming, take this Treasure Fish. I've already processed it slightly for you; it won't affect its subsequent sale."

Once the crowd settled down, Li Mo handed the Red-Horned Pomfret to Hong Ming.

Hong Ming accepted the Treasure Fish and thanked him, "Many thanks, Brother Li."

"Don't go back to the fishing team later; come straight to the Treasure Fish Team and join us in hunting Treasure Fish!"

Li Mo immediately dropped the bombshell, transferring Hong Ming to his team.

The others had no objections; after witnessing the archery contest, they all recognized Hong Ming's skill.

Hong Ming agreed readily; he was more than eager to focus solely on hunting Treasure Fish.

For the time being, Hong Ming joined the Treasure Fish Team in patrolling the river, achieving remarkable results.

Although they didn't spot another Treasure Fish, they frequently encountered semi-Treasure Fish, all of which fell to their arrows.

This situation wasn't unique to the Third Team; the other teams were experiencing the same.

Treasure Fish were rare by nature; even during a fish tide, seeing one was difficult, and they certainly wouldn't appear in groups.

As of now, only two Treasure Fish had appeared in the entire Chuan River.

One belonged to their Third Team, and the other had fallen into the hands of the First Team, while the Second Team had gained nothing.

Within the Second Battalion, the most hunted catch was the semi-Treasure Fish, which accounted for the bulk of the profits from this fish tide.

The fish tide lasted for three days in total before finally drawing to a close.

Over the three days, every team in the Second Battalion had filled their pockets and gained a significant harvest.

The results of the other teams were unknown, but according to Li Mo's tally, their Third Team had harvested ten semi-Treasure Fish and over two thousand large common fish.

As for the specific earnings, the General Affairs Department had yet to finish the final accounting, but it was estimated to be no less than a thousand taels.

Converted into rewards, this meant the monthly stipend for every Water Soldier would be doubled for the next three months.

This did not include Hong Ming's Red-Horned Pomfret, as the Treasure Fish was considered his semi-private property.

"Hong Ming, what are your plans for this Red-Horned Pomfret?"

Once the fish tide ended and the work was finished, Li Mo found Hong Ming immediately to ask.

"I would appreciate your guidance, Brother Li." Hong Ming tossed the question right back to Li Mo.

Li Mo pondered for a moment before speaking, "Generally speaking, since the Treasure Fish was caught by you, you are free to handle it as you please, but there are two points you must note."

"I am all ears." Hong Ming listened attentively.

"First, whether you use it yourself or sell it, you must pay a five percent commission to the River Bureau, based on the market price of the Treasure Fish; second, should you choose to sell, the River Bureau holds the right of first refusal."

Strictly speaking, neither of these two rules was harsh; in fact, they were quite reasonable.

The latter required no explanation, as it was only natural to keep the benefits within one's own circle.

As for the former, given that Hong Ming relied on his status as a Water Soldier and the conveniences provided by the River Bureau to hunt the Treasure Fish, surrendering a small percentage of the profit was beyond reproach.

Hong Ming had no intention of challenging the rules and agreed readily.

However, he was currently unsure how to dispose of the catch, and upon learning this, Li Mo guessed that he intended to wait for a better price.

He did not press the matter, instead advising him that if he decided to sell, he could first seek out Han Ming to sound him out.

This was a reminder to Hong Ming that if Han Ming were interested, he could prioritize selling it to him.

After expressing his gratitude, Hong Ming nodded to show he understood.

As Li Mo had expected, he did indeed have the intention of waiting for a better price.

"Treasure Fish are categorized by their growth stages. The best are those in the growth phase, which yield significant effects when consumed. Next are those in the juvenile phase, and the least valuable are those in the senescent phase. This Red-Horned Pomfret of mine belongs to the senescent phase—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard." This was the source of Hong Ming's dilemma.

If he had never consumed a Treasure Fish before, he would certainly have chosen to taste its effects.

But having already tasted both Treasure Fish and medicinal herbs, he found himself lacking interest.

Thinking more was useless, so Hong Ming decided to play it by ear when the time came.

The situation changed before long; no sooner had Hong Ming returned to the camp than an uninvited guest arrived.

It was none other than Instructor Huang!

Seeing Hong Ming, Instructor Huang chuckled in greeting, "Hong Ming."

His attitude was amiable, as if meeting an old acquaintance, completely unaffected by their previous conflict.

This smiling-tiger demeanor made Hong Ming secretly vigilant, though he maintained a polite facade, revealing nothing unusual, "Instructor Huang."

"I heard you've been having great luck lately, catching a Red-Horned Pomfret?"

Instructor Huang did not mind Hong Ming's attitude, taking the initiative to make small talk and lead into the topic.

In the blink of an eye, he changed how he addressed him, attempting to draw closer to him.

"I didn't expect that news to reach your ears, Instructor Huang," Hong Ming said with a chuckle.

He knew the man wouldn't visit without a reason; he now understood why he had come uninvited.

He was definitely eyeing his Treasure Fish!

With the conversation having reached this point, Instructor Huang stopped hiding his intentions and spoke frankly, "Ah Ming, I have come this time to purchase this Treasure Fish from you. Considering the guidance I provided you in the past, could you perhaps part with it and do me a favor? It would not be in vain for the kindness I showed you back then!"

He kept harping on their connection, speaking as if his past instruction had been a monumental favor to Hong Ming.

"..."

Listening to Instructor Huang manipulate their relationship in such a way, Hong Ming was left speechless.

He felt it was absurd; how could someone with such a callous face utter such shameless words?

Instructor Huang's skin was thicker than a city wall; seemingly oblivious, he smiled and made his offer, "Ah Ming, I have come with sincerity and do not wish to make things difficult for you. Ten taels of silver—how about you let me have the Treasure Fish?"