The Tenth Dragon Fish

These past few days, Li Ke felt like he was fighting a guerrilla war, moving from place to place to gather, all to avoid the classmates who wanted to reintegrate into the morning exercise group.

In fact, on the evening of the sixth day, some students' parents had already come to visit with gifts.

At that time, his father was still working overtime at the Privy Council, and it was he and his mother who entertained him.

Not everyone in this large mansion is living a very happy life. Some families have had their ancestors make mistakes, so they have been marginalized in terms of family power.

Therefore, these families are well aware of how tempting power is. Having been marginalized themselves, they hope that their children can hold important positions within the family in the future.

Only in this way can their group have hope again.

The mother and son were guests at Li Ke's home. After exchanging pleasantries for more than an hour, they finally revealed their purpose: they hoped that Li Ke could talk to the husband and let the child return to the running group.

It must be said that this mother was very clever. At that time, Li Shu and others had not even returned from the army yet. She had only heard that Li Yinuo was also running exercises, and she keenly sensed something.

However, Qing Chen had also specifically told Li Ke that if this path were taken by those who sought shortcuts, it would be meaningless and might even lead to the leakage of the cultivation path in the future.

The old man also agreed to Qing Chen's simple method of screening out those who couldn't endure hardship...

At this point, Qing Chen himself may not have realized that this power of selection actually has a very large influence.

Some intelligent people can even foresee that in the coming decades, the future of those who fall behind and those who don't will be vastly different.

The watershed moment began from this point.

Li Ke politely refused the mother and son, saying that he could not make the decision and that it was up to the teacher.

On the morning of the seventh day after his transmigration, as soon as Li Ke entered the school, a chubby boy sneered, "Oh, look who's here! Isn't this Li Ke, who likes to eat alone?"

"Li Ke, you're really something! You even went to the sniping range on the back mountain to avoid us?"

"They're all brothers and sisters of the Li family, is it really necessary for you to do this?"

They didn't care whether this was Qing Chen's instruction or not. Since they didn't dare to attack Qing Chen, they attacked Li Ke, who was in charge of carrying it out.

In the school, most of the children had been screened out. Everyone sent their servants out to search for a long time in the morning, but they still couldn't find where Li Ke and the others were gathered or where they were running.

After all that fuss, Li Ke simply set the meeting point at the sniping range in the back mountains. Who would have thought that going for a run in the morning would lead to such a place?

Some people even blocked Li Ke's door at 5:30. This method was inspired by a wise person. You want to play guerrilla warfare? I'll just block your door. You have to go out eventually, right?

They discovered that Li Ke hadn't slept at the Peak Villa that night at all, but had gone directly to Li Yinuo's Qingshan Courtyard and slept next to Qing Yi's.

This move surprised many people, and some speculated that it was definitely instructed by the instructor.

By this time, the other students already knew that something was going to happen to those who persisted in running, and they couldn't hide their jealousy.

Even his classmates who were running with him didn't say anything in his defense.

Everyone let the verbal attacks continue, targeting Li Ke.

However, Li Ke remained expressionless and listened to the lectures despite the ridicule, as if he were not disturbed at all.

During the first break in the afternoon, Li Ke went to the toilet and sat down, only to find to his astonishment that someone had splashed water on his chair, so much so that his pants were wet for a long time when he sat down.

It was winter, and it was impossible for a wet pair of trousers to dry on their own. The icy cold felt like a knife stabbing into Li Ke's body.

A chubby boy chuckled, "Li Ke wet his pants!"

Li Ke glanced at the other person calmly, but still didn't say anything.

This time, the students running alongside Li Ke couldn't hold back any longer. They stood up and glared angrily at the chubby boy and his group. "Whose fault is it that you fell behind? Try touching him again! We're all brothers and sisters of the Li family, don't go too far!"

Li Ke stopped a classmate. "Never mind."

Return countdown: 7:00:00.

Seven hours remaining.

In the evening, he walked alone towards the Autumn Leaf Villa.

Upon entering the courtyard, they found Qing Chen still lying on the recliner with his eyes closed, resting.

Li Ke thought for a moment, then went to the kitchen to cook, preparing fish, without saying a word.

Today, he was extra careful when preparing the fish because, for some reason, his husband hadn't gone to Longhu yesterday, and this was the ninth Dragon Fish they had caught.

Li Ke knew that after the master ate the Dragon Fish tonight, there might be some amazing changes.

However, while cooking, Li Ke was suddenly overcome with emotion, and tears streamed down his face.

He quickly looked up to avoid his tears falling into the pot.

Ultimately, he was just a 14-year-old boy. When his classmates mocked and ridiculed him, even the strongest heart couldn't withstand it.

He secretly glanced at Qing Chen in the courtyard.

Qing Chen seemed completely unaware of this, lying on the recliner without moving an inch.

Li Ke quickly wiped away his tears and continued making braised fish.

Today, Qing Chen has moved the sniper training target to 2100 meters. Only 500 meters remain before he will 'graduate'.

However, graduation is not the end; he will add extra training subjects such as "altitude" next.

A short while later, Li Ke brought the braised fish to the table.

"Go and hang up the 'No Visitors' sign and close the door tightly, otherwise it might be a bit lively today," Qing Chen said with his eyes closed.

Li Ke was taken aback for a moment, but still did as instructed.

Not long after the "No Visitors" sign was put up, there was a knock on the door, and someone called out, "Sir, I've brought my child to apologize to you. Please open the door."

Li Ke looked at Qing Chen, only to see that the instructor had already picked up his chopsticks and started eating fish, completely oblivious to everything happening outside.

The parents and students outside the Autumn Leaf Villa did not leave. Not long after, new parents and students came to the gate.

Gradually, more than a dozen students and parents waited outside, but Li Ke found that his tutor was eating the Dragon Fish slowly and deliberately, as if nothing had happened.

"Is it too salty today? Is something on your mind?" Qing Chen asked while eating.

Li Ke thought for a moment, but ultimately didn't voice his grievances. He replied, "Sir, I want to apologize to you. Last night, someone came to my door, wanting me to plead for them. I told them that it wasn't up to me to decide, and that I had to ask you."

"What you said isn't wrong," Qing Chen shook his head. "There's no need to blame yourself."

Li Ke said seriously, "That's not how it is. Later, my mother criticized me. She said that since you entrusted me with such an important matter, it is only natural for me to shield you from all the trouble, rather than pushing all the responsibility onto you."

"Your mother is right," Qing Chen said, "But there's no need to blame yourself."

At this moment, Qing Chen thought, no wonder Li Ke was more likable than other children. It turned out that he had an excellent mother and a good family education.

Qing Chen looked at Li Ke: "Have you been crying?"

"Yes," Li Ke replied honestly.

"Your classmates must have been scolding you, right?" Qing Chen asked with a chuckle.

"How did you know, sir?" Li Ke asked curiously.

"I can guess that. Sit down and eat. Wait until everyone outside has left before you leave," Qing Chen said.

He didn't ask the other person how they were feeling, seemingly not caring at all.

However, at that moment, the parents' shouts came from outside the door, "Kneel down at your master's door. You are not allowed to get up until your master comes out to see you."

It seems the parents are planning to use a self-inflicted injury as a ploy.

At first, only one parent did this, but later everyone followed suit, and a row of students knelt down in front of the Autumn Leaf Villa, crying loudly.

The once quiet Autumn Leaf Villa suddenly became noisy.

Qing Chen glanced at Li Ke: "What are you standing there for? Come and eat."

Knowing that the noise at the door was his fault, Li Ke shook his head and said, "Sir, I made a mistake today, so I won't eat. I'll go wash your clothes for you."

As he spoke, Li Ke went into the west wing without looking back, silently took out the clothes from the clothes basket, and began to wash them by hand.

The water was very cold in winter, but he didn't even use the washing machine, as if he were punishing himself.

Qing Chen just smiled at this scene and continued to eat the fish clean, leaving not a single piece of meat on the fish bones.

As he ate the last piece of fish eye meat, he suddenly felt every warm current he had eaten before burst forth again from the depths of his bones.

Just as streams eventually converge into a torrent, sweeping away mountains and rushing like rivers!

A parent outside muttered, "Is anyone inside? My child has been kneeling and crying in front of the door for half an hour. How can this man be so heartless as to not open the door?"

As he spoke, the parent pressed his ear against the vermilion door.

But just as she pressed herself against it, she heard a thunderous roar that seemed to explode right next to her ear, the thunder rumbling as if it were hidden behind the clouds.

The parent was startled. She looked up at the sky and saw a bright moon and few stars. Where did the dark clouds and Thunderclap come from?

"It's Dragon Fish! He ate the last Dragon Fish!" a student's father exclaimed in astonishment. "I heard that if you eat nine Dragon Fish, Thunderclap sounds will emanate from your bones. I thought it was just a legend..."

"Where did you hear that from?" someone asked curiously.

The male parent said in a low voice, "Back then, my seventh brother always wanted to steal fish from Longhu Lake. When someone asked him why, this is what he said."

At that moment, Li Ke, who was washing his clothes with cold water in the west wing, turned around in astonishment to look at his tutor.

In his gaze, he saw that Qing Chen's expression was not abnormal at all, but his hair was falling out strand by strand.

The fallen hair turned to dust on the ground, leaving Qing Chen's head bald for a moment.

As Li Ke watched this scene, he thought, "Even if you were to become a monk, you would probably be the most handsome monk."

Qing Chen's baldness didn't last long; new stubble grew back on his head.

In just two seconds, his hair returned to its original shape.

The change happened so fast that Li Ke was so shocked that he didn't even have time to open his mouth before it was over.

"Sir, you've grown taller," Li Ke said, stunned.

"Yes," Qing Chen nodded, "I've grown two centimeters taller. I was 181 cm before, and now I'm 183 cm."

It turns out that the wondrous creatures in the Forbidden Zone are truly amazing.

If anyone tells him again that there is something in the Forbidden Zone that can bring the dead back to life, Qing Chen will believe it.

However, the plants and animals that have mutated in those Forbidden Zone are more likely to be poisonous and harmful than beneficial.

Eating anything you like could kill you.

Qing Chen silently sensed the changes in his body. He was certain of one thing: no superhuman of the same level could break his bones now, not even one level higher.

Moreover, the changes brought about by the bones are not just about toughness; they also have a powerful hematopoietic function.

Qing Chen's ears twitched slightly.

Just then, whispers came from outside the door. To Qing Chen's surprise, he could now hear the sounds he couldn't hear before clearly.

"What exactly happened inside? Are you sure it's the effect of eating the Dragon Fish?"

"How long do we have to make our child kneel? This teacher is too cruel."

Qing Chen immediately realized that there are bones inside the ear: malleus, incus, and stapes!

These three ossicles, together with the ligaments, form the ossicular chain. When sound waves in the air reach the end of the external auditory canal, they cause changes in the pressure on the tympanic membrane.

The tympanic membrane vibrates back and forth, replicating the sound source, and the malleus attached to the tympanic membrane also vibrates accordingly. The vibration is then transmitted to the stapes via the incus. The other end of the stapes is connected to the oval window. When vibrating, it can cause the movement of fluid in the inner ear, thereby stimulating the auditory receptors in the inner ear.

After his transformation, his three auditory ossicles also changed, allowing him to hear the conversations outside the door clearly.

Not only that, there was also the sound of leaves rustling outside the Autumn Leaf Villa.

The sound of leaves rustling together, like ocean waves, swept across and crashed against the sea cliffs.

"Tell me, why is this tutor so arrogant? So many of us parents brought our children and are kneeling outside the door, doesn't he feel any pity at all...?"

"Stop talking. When I suggested the child go running, you spoiled him and said he didn't have to go. Is that the instructor's fault?"

"I just wanted the child to sleep a little longer, and now you're complaining?"

"Now is not the time to talk about this. Let's see when we can impress the instructor."

"How about I go get someone to bring the life detector? Let's see if there's anyone inside..."

Qing Chen: "..."

He listened to all of this, but made no move to respond.

Qing Chen looked at Li Ke inside the house and said, "Don't wash the clothes yet. These people won't leave anytime soon. Make Dragon Fish."

"Huh?" Li Ke was taken aback. "Dragon Fish? Sir, haven't you already eaten nine?"

"Just do it. There's also a way to keep it fresh at the very bottom of the refrigerator," Qing Chen said.

"Okay," Li Ke wiped his hands and went back into the kitchen.

A short while later, the steamed Dragon Fish was served. Li Ke hesitated and said, "Sir, please try it and see how it tastes. If you don't like it, I'll make a new sauce."

However, this time Qing Chen looked at Li Ke and said, "This isn't for me, it's for you."

Li Ke's eyes suddenly reddened again. He wiped away his tears and looked at Qing Chen, only to find that his tutor had already lay back on the recliner and continued to rest with his eyes closed.

The 14-year-old boy sat silently beside the stone table, picking at the food with his chopsticks, wishing he could chew even the thorns and swallow them.

Upon hearing the crunching sound in the mysterious world, Qing Chen, without even opening his eyes, said, "Stop chewing the fish bones, you can't chew them."

If he could chew it, he would have swallowed it along with the fish bones long ago.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Fish's purpose was to strengthen bones and muscles. His bones were as hard as steel, and no matter how hard Qing Chen tried, he couldn't leave a single tooth mark on it.

But I must say, the way Li Ke chews fish bones does have a bit of his style.

Qing Chen even wondered if his master looked like this when he ate that fish back then.

Perhaps this is what they mean by interesting souls eventually meeting...

Li Ke, standing to the side, paused for a moment, then finally gave up chewing the fish bones. "Sir, where did you get this fish?"

"Don't worry, it wasn't stolen," Qing Chen said.

"Oh," Li Ke nodded and continued eating the fish. He had stopped crying and felt that all the grievances he had suffered today were worthwhile.

The gentleman even brought him Dragon Fish, so he didn't need to ask many questions; he naturally had the answers in his heart.

Hearing the crying and commotion outside the door, Li Ke hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Sir, are you really not going to let them in?"

Lying back in his chair, Qing Chen calmly replied, "If crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide were effective, then all the grievances you suffered during the day would have been for nothing, wouldn't they?"

Li Ke was stunned, but then he saw tears streaming down his face again.

It turns out that the gentleman knew everything.

Li Ke didn't know what was wrong with him today; he shed more tears in one day than he had in the past ten years.

At this moment Qing Chen was not flustered at all when facing those parents who were causing trouble, because he had already understood that the Li family had been doing this kind of screening work for many years. In the past, it was the Privy Council doing it, and now it was Qing Chen who was doing it as a side job.

The Li family, a large and powerful clan, never lacked descendants. They filtered out all the mediocre and marginalized them, while assigning the best to various important positions.

Including Li Shu and others who suddenly returned this time, they had actually already gone through several rounds of selection.

To outsiders, the Li family might seem to be on the verge of internal strife, but in Qing Chen's view, the place couldn't be more peaceful.

Qing Chen once asked the old man: What exactly does the Privy Council do?

The old man replied: In fact, the most important things for the Privy Council are only two: one is to manage the business well, and the other is to select talents and put them in the most suitable positions.

The Privy Council is like the brain of this conglomerate, with all the strategists inside protecting the entire conglomerate and making the most correct decisions.

There is a special advisory group in the Privy Council, and their positions are even called "National Policy Advisor." They are probably one of the most intelligent people in the Inner World.

Qing Chen wondered, who exactly was the chaos that the Li family was deliberately staging for?

As silence returned to the gates of the Autumn Leaf Villa, Qing Chen glanced at Li Ke, who had finished washing the dishes, and said, "It's getting late, let's go back."

"Yes, sir," Li Ke said.

The gates of the Autumn Leaf Villa opened, and all the students and parents outside had left.

Qing Chen sighed inwardly. They were indeed a bunch of opportunists. They didn't even have the guts to kneel for a whole night until they saw real benefits.

As it turns out, not everyone in a conglomerate is smart.

It is not without reason that some people have gradually been marginalized by the Privy Council.

Qing Chen glanced at the countdown on his arm, then turned and walked back into the house.

Return countdown: 1:00:00

The time is ripe, and the rules have been established.

He walked through the long corridor; it was time to go outside and take a look.

The last hour was enough for him to prepare himself in the room at the end of the passageway, so that he could go to the outside world after the next time he traveled through time.

There will be another update at 11 PM tonight, with 5,000 words in the chapter.

Thank you to three friends, colorw, big white me, and dragon with a reverse scale, for becoming new allies of this book. The boss is generous, and the bosses don't get fat from eating!