Chen Jing's Eagerness

Hearing Ji Wen's words, the refusal that had reached Chen Jing's lips was swallowed back down.

If it were merely ordinary silver, Chen Jing would have no interest; after all, the monthly allowance provided by Zhuang Tao was already sufficient for his daily expenses.

However, the Red-patterned Spirit Fish that Ji Wen spoke of was a rare beast, and that piqued his interest.

After all, in just one short month, Chen Jing had broken through from the Blood Creek Realm to the Blood River Realm. Aside from the support of the Five Harms Technique, the Green-skinned Horned Pig meat provided monthly by Zhuang Tao had played an indispensable role.

Since the Canal Gang treasured this Red-patterned Spirit Fish, it must be even more effective than the Green-skinned Horned Pig meat.

Even if it could only slightly increase the speed of his blood-qi refinement, it would be a significant boost for Chen Jing.

Thinking of this, Chen Jing spoke decisively: "Then lead the way."

"Good!"

Hearing this, Ji Wen felt as if he had been granted an amnesty, letting out a long sigh of relief.

He did not fear Chen Jing accepting gifts; he only feared Chen Jing being impervious to reason.

Chen Jing's willingness to accept meant he was willing to give the Canal Gang a chance to build a connection.

With some back-and-forth in the future, perhaps they could climb up to this expert from the River-Breaking Fist Academy, further stabilizing the Canal Gang's position in West City.

Ji Wen dared not delay, immediately beckoning to Zou Cheng beside him and lowering his voice to instruct: "Take some brothers and go take over the Blue Scarf Gang's territory and assets."

"Remember, follow the rules; don't kill the innocent indiscriminately."

Zou Cheng nodded quickly, turned, and hurried away with his men.

Having arranged the follow-up matters, Ji Wen's face once again wore a fawning smile as he bowed to Chen Jing with a gesture of invitation: "Master Chen, please this way. Our Canal Gang's shipyard is right there at the pier. The Red-patterned Spirit Fish has been kept in a Live Water Cabin ever since it was caught, guaranteed to be fresh!"

Chen Jing nodded and stepped forward to follow.

The two walked one after the other and soon arrived at the West City pier.

At this time, the pier was at its busiest, bustling with people and noise.

Laborers carrying cargo shuttled back and forth with bare chests, merchants stood in front of warehouses haggling, and fishermen squatted on the shore mending nets. Shouts, work chants, and ship whistles intertwined, creating an incredibly clamorous scene.

Chen Jing's gaze swept across the pier, but he stopped in an open space.

There, dozens of ragged people were huddled together, all of them sallow and thin, their clothes covered in layers of patches and stained with dust and mud.

They hunched their bodies, surrounding several men who looked like foremen, pleading in hoarse voices for any cargo-moving work to trade for a bite to eat.

These people had a mix of accents, carrying heavy foreign tones; they did not look like locals of Red Rock County, but rather refugees who had fled from afar.

Chen Jing's brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Three months ago, he had still been pulling a Rickshaw here at the pier.

Back then, although there were laborers at the pier, he had never seen so many refugees.

Yet now, in just three short months, how could so many people have suddenly appeared?

"These people... what is going on?"

Chen Jing raised his finger to point at the group of refugees and turned to look at Ji Wen beside him.

Ji Wen followed his gaze, a look of habitual indifference on his face, and explained casually: "Oh, these are all refugees fleeing from the north."

"The north?"

Chen Jing pressed.

"Yes."

Ji Wen nodded, his voice lowering: "I heard there is a war in the north. The Five-Nation Allied Forces have joined together to attack our Da Gan dynasty."

"To resist the foreign enemy, the government is conscripting soldiers and laborers everywhere. Those who don't want to be dragged off to die as soldiers take their families and flee south, eventually reaching our Red Rock County."

Speaking of this, Ji Wen paused and added: "Among them are also some defeated soldiers who fled from the battlefield. Having lost their weapons and their units, they can only end up at the pier begging for a meal."

"Five-Nation Allied Forces?"

Chen Jing's pupils contracted slightly; this term made the suspicion in his heart grow heavier. He had spent years buried in cultivation and struggling to make a living, and he had never heard of such a major event.

"Indeed."

When Ji Wen spoke of this, his face immediately filled with a sense of pride, and his tone became louder: "I heard that the Five-Nation Allied Forces, relying on some kind of Firearm in their hands, were clamoring to trample our Da Gan."

"And guess what happened? Our Great General of the North has already reached the Saint level in martial arts! He charged into the enemy formation alone, rampaging through, and slaughtered forty thousand people on the spot!"

"He scared those ignorant fools so badly that they didn't even dare to approach the gates of the northern border!"

Chen Jing frowned upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, and continued to ask: "Since our Great General of the North is so powerful and has reached the Saint level in martial arts, why did we suffer defeats at the beginning?"

Ji Wen's eyes sharpened. He subconsciously scanned his surroundings, and seeing that there were only passing laborers and Canal Gang brothers, with no outsiders, he lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of hidden dissatisfaction: "Oh, it's all the fault of those big shots in the imperial court!"

"At first, they didn't take the Five-Nation Allied Forces seriously at all, thinking the other side was just a rabble. They sent some idle troops to deal with them, and the general was a straw bag who didn't know how to lead troops. As a result, they were routed the moment they clashed and suffered a huge loss."

Ji Wen gritted his teeth, his tone indignant, "The moment the two armies clashed, our side was routed and suffered heavy casualties. We suffered such a huge loss for nothing!"

Speaking of this, Ji Wen changed the subject, his voice dropping even lower, carrying a trace of unconcealable fear: "What's even worse is that those five nations somehow got their hands on a wicked thing called a Firearm!"

"That thing doesn't require swords or guns; it's just an iron pipe. With a light press, it can shoot out a flash of fire comparable to a thunderbolt, with immense force. Our Second Blood Martial Artists, caught off guard, were shot through the body on the spot and died instantly!"

"Only martial artists at the Third Blood Realm or higher, with their refined vitality and keen senses, can barely sense danger in advance and use their vitality or weapons to deflect it. Even then, they must pay a heavy price!"

"I see."

Listening to Ji Wen's explanation, Chen Jing nodded slowly, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes.

Although he lived at the bottom of society, Chen Jing understood the intricacies of the imperial court. It was likely that the powerful elites were only concerned with their own interests, thereby delaying the war effort.

But at this moment, Chen Jing felt no great indignation toward the court officials; what truly shook him to his core was the Firearm Ji Wen had mentioned!

Judging by Ji Wen's description, this so-called Firearm was clearly the same type of gun he was intimately familiar with in his past life!

From the Bicycle he had seen earlier to the appearance of guns now, the successive emergence of familiar technological products made Chen Jing's suspicions gradually clear.

The martial arts world he inhabited was not purely an era of cold weapons; it was a world where technology existed, perhaps even one where martial arts and technology developed in parallel!

Thinking of this, Chen Jing's pupils constricted sharply, and he subconsciously clenched his fists.

A strong sense of urgency surged in his heart, making Chen Jing's desire to become stronger even more pressing!

Ji Wen, Zhuang Tao, and even the other martial artists in Red Rock County might only think that these *Firearm*s could threaten a Second Blood Martial Artist and that one could cope by breaking through to the Third Blood Realm. They could not imagine that guns were merely the starting point of technological development!

After guns, there would be even more powerful machine guns, rocket launchers, and eventually missiles and nuclear bombs!

The power of these things could not be resisted by mere vitality. Even a master who had reached the sainthood of martial arts would likely struggle to escape death in the face of the destructive power of a nuclear bomb!

He was currently only at the early stage of the Second Blood Realm. While he might have some strength in the Outer City of Red Rock County, looking at the world as a whole, he was still as insignificant as an ant.

To survive in the future torrent of technology and martial strife, and to protect his family, he had to become stronger!

Strong enough to deal with any threat, strong enough to have the power to protect himself even when facing a nuclear bomb!

This intense obsession caused the vitality around Chen Jing's body to fluctuate involuntarily, and his eyes became increasingly firm and sharp, as if flames were burning within them.

At this moment, Ji Wen, standing beside him, felt the fluctuations of vitality coming from Chen Jing. Assuming Chen Jing was dissatisfied with the court's internal politics, he quickly laughed it off and changed the subject.

Leading Chen Jing deeper into the docks, he said, "But fortunately, with the Great General of the North holding the line, a single battle was enough to terrify the Five-Nation Allied Forces. I imagine they won't dare to harbor any designs on our Da Gan for some time."

Speaking of this, Ji Wen's tone deepened with a hint of worry: "It's just that life after the war won't be easy. I hear that in a while, the government will increase taxes. The merchants and gangs in our Outer City will all suffer."

"Especially those Three Great Families in the Inner City; they always use tax collection as a pretext for extortion. Who knows how much they'll squeeze out of us this time? I fear the Canal Gang will have to bleed for it."

Chen Jing remained silent, merely nodding.

When taxes increase, it is ultimately the common people and low-level martial artists like them who suffer, while the elites in the Inner City continue to enjoy their wealth. Such is reality.

As they spoke, the two had already reached the depths of the Canal Gang's shipyard.

Passing through several rows of cargo sheds, Ji Wen led Chen Jing to a secluded courtyard. In the center of the yard was a square pool about a zhang wide, where the water circulated, clear to the bottom.

Inside the pool, a large fish over half a meter long swam leisurely. Its body was silver and bright as moonlight, its scales refracting subtle luster under the sunlight. Only its tail was a deep, vibrant red, looking like a dancing flame as it swayed, full of spiritual energy.

"Master Chen, please look. This is the Red-patterned Spirit Fish."

Ji Wen pointed at the spirit fish in the pool, his tone tinged with reluctance, yet he deliberately acted generous: "This spirit fish is not something ordinary Exotic Beast Meat can compare to. Its flesh is tender and contains extremely pure vitality. Eating it can quickly nourish your vitality and stabilize your realm, several times better than common Exotic Beast Meat."

Ji Wen paused, then added, "Moreover, this spirit fish is extremely rare. Relying on the convenience of the canal, our Canal Gang searches the depths of the river, and we are lucky to catch one about once a month."

"I originally kept this one to replenish my own vitality, but since you stepped in today to help us eliminate Wang Cheng, a major threat, and resolved the Canal Gang's urgent crisis, this spirit fish should be given to you as a token of our gratitude."

Chen Jing's gaze fell on the Red-patterned Spirit Fish, and he clearly felt the faint vitality radiating from its body. His heart stirred.

"Many thanks."

Chen Jing withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly at Ji Wen: "Let this settle the matter. From now on, the Canal Gang and I are even."

Having said that, Chen Jing did not hesitate. He leaped up, reached into the pool, and precisely gripped the dorsal fin of the Red-patterned Spirit Fish.

The spirit fish was startled and its tail thrashed violently, but it could not break free from Chen Jing's strength.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Jing lifted the spirit fish. Its body was ice-cold and its scales were smooth; although it struggled with great force, it had no effect on him.

Seeing Chen Jing accept the spirit fish, a smile appeared on Ji Wen's face, and his hanging heart finally settled.

As long as Chen Jing accepted this gift, there would be a reason to interact in the future. Even if they were just "even," it was far better than having no relationship at all.

Ji Wen did not dare to be negligent and quickly turned to order the Canal Gang disciples behind him to fetch a specially made live-water bag.

The bag was made of tough buffalo hide with a waterproof tarpaulin lining and a tight-locking mouth, designed specifically for storing live fish.

The disciple skillfully scooped up the Red-patterned Spirit Fish from the pool, carefully placed it into the live-water bag, poured in half a bag of pool water, and then tied the opening tightly.

Ji Wen personally took the heavy bag and handed it to Chen Jing with both hands, his face full of ingratiating smiles: "Master Chen, this spirit fish is delicate and will die if left out of water for too long. You should prepare it as soon as you return for the best effect."

Chen Jing took the bag, feeling the coldness and the distinct thrashing of the fish inside.

Chen Jing nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk out of the Canal Gang.

Ji Wen watched Chen Jing until his tall, straight back disappeared into the crowd at the dock entrance. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief, his heart finally returning to its place.

To be able to build a favorable connection with this powerful disciple of the River-Breaking Fist Academy—today's sacrifice was worth it.