Chen Jing's Urgency

Hearing Ji Wen's words, Chen Jing swallowed the refusal that had already reached his lips.

If it had been ordinary silver, Chen Jing wouldn't have been interested. After all, the monthly allowance Zhuang Tao gave him was already enough to cover his daily expenses.

But Ji Wen had said the Red-patterned Spirit Fish was an exotic beast, and that made Chen Jing feel tempted.

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 boost from the Five Harms Technique, the Green-skinned Horned Pig meat Zhuang Tao supplied him each month had also played a major part.

And since the Canal Gang treasured the Red-patterned Spirit Fish like a prized possession, its effects were surely even better than those of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat.

Even if it could only slightly increase the speed at which his qi and blood grew more refined, that would still be a considerable help to Chen Jing.

With that thought, Chen Jing answered briskly, "Then lead the way."

"Of course!"

At his words, Ji Wen looked as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief.

He wasn't afraid of Chen Jing accepting a gift. He was afraid Chen Jing would be impervious to every inducement.

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

If they crossed paths a few more times, the Canal Gang might even be able to get close to this expert from the River-Breaking Fist Academy, further securing its standing in West City.

Ji Wen didn't dare delay. He immediately beckoned Zou Cheng over and instructed him in a lowered voice, "Take some men and go claim the Blue Scarf Gang's territory and businesses."

"Remember, keep things proper. Don't kill innocents indiscriminately."

Zou Cheng hurriedly nodded, then turned and led the men away.

Once he had taken care of the follow-up arrangements, Ji Wen's face broke into another obsequious smile. He bowed and gestured invitingly to Chen Jing. "Master Chen, this way, please. Our Canal Gang's boatyard is over by the docks. The Red-patterned Spirit Fish has been kept in a Live Water Cabin ever since we caught it. I guarantee it's fresh and lively!"

Chen Jing nodded and set off after him.

The two walked one after the other, soon arriving at the West City docks.

The docks were at their busiest, crowded with carts and people, and buzzing with noise.

Bare-chested laborers carrying cargo hurried back and forth. Merchants stood before the warehouses haggling over prices, while fishermen crouched by the shore mending their nets. Shouts, work chants, and ships' whistles mingled into a clamor.

Chen Jing swept his gaze across the docks, then stopped when he spotted an empty lot.

There, dozens of people in rags had gathered. Every one of them was gaunt and sallow, their clothes patched upon patched and caked with dust and mud.

They stooped before several men who looked like foremen, hoarsely begging for work hauling cargo in exchange for a bite to eat.

Their accents were mixed, with a strong hint of somewhere far away. They didn't sound like locals from Red Rock County. Instead, they seemed like refugees who had fled here from distant lands.

Chen Jing's brows knitted slightly, and a question surfaced in his mind.

Three months ago, he had pulled a Rickshaw here at the docks.

There had been laborers at the docks then, too, but he had never seen so many refugees.

How had so many people suddenly appeared in just three short months?

"What's going on with those people?"

Chen Jing raised a hand and pointed at the refugees, then turned to Ji Wen beside him.

Ji Wen followed his gaze. His face showed the familiarity of someone who had grown used to the sight, and he explained casually, "Oh, they're all refugees who fled from the north."

"The north?"

Chen Jing pressed him.

"Yeah."

Ji Wen nodded and lowered his voice a little. "I heard there's fighting up north. The Five-Nation Allied Forces joined together to attack our Great Da Gan Dynasty."

"To defend against foreign enemies, the authorities are conscripting soldiers and laborers everywhere. Those who don't want to be dragged off to fight and die are fleeing south with their families. They've fled all the way to our Red Rock County."

Ji Wen paused, then added, "Some of them are also defeated soldiers who escaped from the battlefield. They lost their weapons and were struck from the rolls, so they've ended up at the docks, begging for food."

"The Five-Nation Allied Forces?"

Chen Jing's pupils contracted slightly. Those words deepened the cloud of suspicion in his heart. He had spent so much time buried in cultivation and earning a living that he hadn't even heard about something this momentous.

"That's right."

When Ji Wen spoke of it, a proud look rose to his face, and his voice grew louder. "I heard the Five-Nation Allied Forces were relying on some kind of Firearm they had and shouting that they'd flatten our Great Da Gan."

"But guess what happened? Our Great General of the North had already reached the Sacred level in martial arts! He charged straight into the allied forces alone, rampaging through their ranks and slaughtering forty thousand on the spot!"

"He scared those ignorant fools so badly they pissed their pants. They didn't even dare approach the cities on the northern border!"

Chen Jing's brows drew together. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "If our Great General of the North is so powerful, and has reached the Sacred level in martial arts, how did we suffer defeats at the start?"

Ji Wen's gaze sharpened. He instinctively looked around, and when he saw only passing laborers and Canal Gang members nearby, with no outsiders, he lowered his voice. A note of barely concealed resentment entered it. "Oh, that was all those big shots at court!"

"At first, they didn't take the Five-Nation Allied Forces seriously at all. They thought the enemy was just a rabble, so they sent a few idle troops to deal with them. The general was a useless fool who had no idea how to lead an army. The moment they clashed, our forces crumbled, and we suffered a heavy loss."

Ji Wen clenched his teeth, his voice full of indignation. "As soon as the two armies clashed, our side fell apart and suffered heavy casualties. We took that enormous loss for nothing!"

At that, Ji Wen changed tack. His voice dropped even lower, and an unmistakable trace of fear crept into it. "Worse still, those five nations somehow came up with a sinister thing called a Firearm!"

"You don't need a blade or a spear with that thing. It's just an iron tube. Press it lightly, and it shoots a streak of fire like a thunderclap, with incredible force. Our Second Blood Martial Artists were caught off guard and shot right through the body, dying on the spot!"

"Only martial artists at the Third Blood Realm or above can barely sense danger beforehand, thanks to their refined qi and blood and keen perception. They can use their qi and blood or weapons to block one or two shots, but even then, they have to pay a heavy price!"

"I see."

Listening to Ji Wen's explanation, Chen Jing slowly nodded, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

Though he lived among the common folk, Chen Jing still understood the twists and turns of court politics. The nobles had probably been too focused on their own interests, delaying the war.

But at that moment, Chen Jing wasn't particularly outraged at the nobles in court. What shook him most was the Firearm Ji Wen had mentioned!

From Ji Wen's description, this so-called Firearm was unmistakably a gun, something Chen Jing knew all too well from his previous life!

From the Bicycle he had seen earlier to the firearms that had appeared now, one familiar technological invention after another had emerged, and Chen Jing's suspicions were gradually taking shape.

The martial world he now inhabited wasn't purely an era of cold weapons. Technology was developing here, and this might even be a world where martial arts and technology advanced side by side!

At the thought, Chen Jing's pupils suddenly narrowed, and his fists clenched without him realizing it.

An intense sense of urgency surged through him, making his desire to grow stronger burn even brighter!

Ji Wen, Zhuang Tao, and even the other martial artists in Red Rock County might only think that these firearms could threaten Second Blood Martial Artists, and that breaking through to the Third Blood Realm would be enough to handle them. They couldn't imagine that guns were only the starting point of technological development!

After guns would come even more powerful machine guns, rocket launchers, missiles, and even nuclear bombs!

Qi and blood alone could never withstand the power of such weapons. Even experts who had reached the Sacred level in martial arts would probably be doomed before the destructive force of a nuclear bomb!

And now, Chen Jing was only in the early stage of the Second Blood Realm. He might have gained a measure of strength in the outer city of Red Rock County, but compared to the world as a whole, he was still no more than an ant.

If he wanted to survive the future tide of technology and the turmoil of the martial world, if he wanted to protect his family, he had to grow stronger!

Strong enough to face any threat, strong enough to protect himself even against a nuclear bomb!

This fierce resolve made the qi and blood around Chen Jing fluctuate involuntarily. His gaze grew ever more determined and sharp, as if flames were burning within it.

Ji Wen felt the fluctuations in Chen Jing's qi and blood beside him. Assuming Chen Jing was simply angry about the twists and turns of court politics, he quickly forced out a laugh and changed the subject.

As he led Chen Jing deeper into the docks, he said, "Still, fortunately, our Great General of the North is holding the line. That one battle scared the Five-Nation Allied Forces so badly that I doubt they'll dare target our Great Da Gan again anytime soon."

At this, Ji Wen's tone darkened with worry. "It's just that life after the war won't be easy. I heard the authorities are going to raise taxes again soon. The merchants and gangs in the Outer City will all suffer."

"Especially the Three Great Families in the Inner City. They've always used tax collection as an excuse to extort and plunder. Who knows how much more they'll squeeze out this time? The Canal Gang will probably have to bleed, too."

Chen Jing remained silent, only nodding quietly.

When taxes rose, it was the common folk and low-level martial artists like them who ultimately suffered. The powerful in the Inner City could still live in luxury. That was reality.

As they talked, the two had already reached the depths of the Canal Gang's boatyard.

They passed several rows of cargo sheds, and Ji Wen led Chen Jing to a quiet courtyard. In its center stood a square pool, about a zhang across, built to circulate fresh water. The water flowed in a clear, continuous current.

Inside the pool, a large fish over half a meter long swam leisurely. Its entire body gleamed silver like moonlight, and its scales reflected flecks of light beneath the sun. Only its tail was a deep, vivid red. As it swished, it looked like a dancing flame, brimming with spiritual energy.

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

Ji Wen pointed at the spirit fish in the pool. His voice carried a hint of reluctance, though he made a deliberate show of generosity. "This spirit fish is no ordinary exotic beast. Its flesh is tender, and it contains extremely pure qi and blood. Eating it can rapidly nourish your qi and blood and stabilize your realm. It's several times better than ordinary exotic beast meat."

Ji Wen paused, then added, "The spirit fish is also extremely rare. Thanks to the Canal Gang's advantage in river transport, we can search the depths of the waterways, but we're lucky if we catch one about once a month."

"I'd originally kept this one to replenish my own qi and blood. But today, you helped us eliminate Wang Cheng, this great thorn in our side, and rescued the Canal Gang from its urgent predicament. This spirit fish should be yours. Only then can it count as a proper expression of our gratitude."

Chen Jing looked at the Red-patterned Spirit Fish and clearly sensed the faint qi and blood it gave off. His heart stirred.

"Thank you."

Chen Jing withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly to Ji Wen. "This settles things between us. From now on, the Canal Gang and I owe each other nothing."

With that, Chen Jing didn't hesitate. He leapt forward, reached into the pool, and precisely caught the Red-patterned Spirit Fish by its dorsal fin.

Startled, the spirit fish whipped its tail violently, but it couldn't break free of Chen Jing's grip.

Chen Jing turned his wrist and lifted the fish from the water. Its body was icy cold, and its scales were smooth. Though it struggled with considerable force, it had no effect on him.

Seeing Chen Jing accept the spirit fish, Ji Wen's face immediately broke into a smile, and his worries finally eased.

As long as Chen Jing accepted the gift, they'd have a reason to build a relationship in the future. Even if they owed each other nothing, that was still far better than having no connection at all.

Ji Wen didn't dare neglect him. He promptly turned and told the Canal Gang disciples behind him to fetch a specially made Live Water Cabin bag.

The bag was made of sturdy buffalo hide, lined with waterproof oilcloth, and its opening could be pulled tight and securely fastened. It had been designed especially for keeping fish alive.

The disciples worked quickly, scooping the Red-patterned Spirit Fish out of the pool with care and placing it inside the bag. They then filled it halfway with pool water before firmly tying the opening shut.

Ji Wen personally took the heavy bag in both hands and presented it to Chen Jing, his face brimming with an ingratiating smile. "Master Chen, this spirit fish is delicate. If it spends too long out of the water, it'll die. Be sure to deal with it soon after you get back. That's when it'll have the best effect."

Chen Jing took the bag. It felt icy in his hands, and he could clearly feel the fish moving inside.

Chen Jing nodded slightly. Without another word, he turned and headed out of the Canal Gang's grounds.

Ji Wen escorted Chen Jing all the way to the dock entrance. He watched Chen Jing's tall figure gradually disappear into the crowd, then finally let out a long breath, the weight on his heart settling completely.

It had been worth everything he'd done today to make a good connection with this powerful disciple of the River-Breaking Fist Academy.