Encountering the Fishermen Gang Again

Lin Yi frowned, feeling that the voice coming from behind him was somewhat familiar. After helping Jiang Er up, he turned around and frowned again.

The newcomers were also two young men. Both were dressed in wide martial arts robes, tall and imposing, with sharp, aggressive auras.

Upon seeing Lin Yi, the two men also frowned, then sneered, "Oh? I really didn't expect you to be here too, Junior Brother!"

These two were none other than the roommates with whom Lin Yi had fought in their shared dormitory previously. It could be said that enemies often cross paths.

Over these past days, Lin Yi had learned of their backgrounds. The tall and sturdy one was called Li Niuhe, while the thin and gaunt one was Zhang Mingxi. Both hailed from a fishing village and were close friends, usually enjoying using their seniority to bully new apprentices at the martial arts hall.

However, in the current world, those who could afford to learn martial arts usually had some family background. Both Li Niuhe and Zhang Mingxi's families were high-ranking members of the Fishermen Gang, making them local powerhouses in the eyes of ordinary people.

The Fishermen Gang had originally been a civil organization intended to protect the interests of fishermen in the fish market. But as gang conflicts within Jiaqing County intensified, the current leadership of the Fishermen Gang, backed by the Black Wind Gang, had gradually evolved into a subordinate organization, serving as a tool for the Black Wind Gang to extort wealth.

Lin Yi glanced at Jiang Er and the two men before him. Jiang Er was a fisherman, and these two were spoiled brats from the Fishermen Gang's leadership; it was only natural that they knew each other. Lin Yi didn't dwell on it; he cast a faint, indifferent look at them, having no desire to engage, and immediately prepared to shoulder his fish basket and leave.

Lin Yi's dismissal caused the expressions of the two to stiffen instantly. The hot-tempered Li Niuhe was furious and immediately wanted to lash out at Lin Yi, but he was stopped by Zhang Mingxi.

Zhang Mingxi's eyes turned cold as he said in a chilly tone, "Junior Brother, so you like eating fish? Why didn't you mention such a small matter to your Senior Brothers? My family sells fish; if you want to eat, just say the word, and I can bring you the freshest catch. Why travel all the way to the fish market to buy them yourself?"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "No need. I have enough money to buy my own fish."

Zhang Mingxi blocked Lin Yi's path and said, "Eh, I naturally know that you aren't short on money for fish. But... since you've finally come to my territory, I must fulfill my duties as a host."

"The waters in this fish market are deep. I'm just worried that some heartless fisherman might try to pass off rotten, stinking fish as quality goods and ruin your stomach. Let me help you inspect them."

Jiang Er's face flushed red as he defended himself, "These fish were caught just today. How could I be passing off inferior goods..."

Zhang Mingxi turned his head, shot a gloomy glare at Jiang Er, and said coldly, "Jiang Er, who do you think you are? I'm speaking to my Junior Brother; is it your place to interrupt?"

Jiang Er was so angry he was momentarily speechless.

Zhang Mingxi ignored Jiang Er and instead gave Li Niuhe a look. Li Niuhe returned an understanding expression and quietly moved behind Lin Yi.

Zhang Mingxi turned back to look at Lin Yi with a smile. "Junior Brother, you wouldn't want to spurn your Senior Brother's good intentions, would you?"

Thud!

Lin Yi set the fish basket he had just shouldered heavily back onto the ground. He sighed softly, looked at Zhang Mingxi and Li Niuhe, and suddenly smiled. He could see that these two were looking for trouble today, and it seemed unlikely that things would end easily.

"Since you want to look, then look."

Lin Yi lifted his foot and kicked the fish basket over. In an instant, seven or eight large fish spilled out onto the ground.

The two were stunned, seemingly not expecting Lin Yi to be so straightforward. After all, the grudge they had formed with Lin Yi was not small. Usually, Lin Yi was cold and aloof, not one to mingle. That he was so obedient today caught them off guard.

"Good... very good! Then let your Senior Brother help you inspect them!" Zhang Mingxi recovered from his momentary daze and leaned in to pick through the fish flopping on the ground.

"This silver carp is off-color..."

"Look at this crucian carp, its belly is injured, the wound is bleeding, and the meat smells fishy..."

"Oh, Junior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Lin, it's fortunate you ran into me today. Otherwise, if you ate these bad fish, you'd definitely get diarrhea!" Zhang Mingxi mocked.

"How about this, Junior Brother? I'll give you a hundred coins for these fish, and tomorrow I'll bring you a fresh batch," Li Niuhe added with a laugh from the side.

In their eyes, Lin Yi had only managed to beat them last time by relying on a sneak attack, and they hadn't been fully awake at the time.

In a head-on, one-on-one fight, Lin Yi was certainly no match for them.

Their plan was quite simple.

He wanted to find an excuse to get rid of this group of fish.

Afterward, he would use the pretext of gifting Lin Yi a batch of "fine fish" to dump a load of rotten, trash fish at his doorstep, which would serve as a warning and a way to thoroughly disgust him.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, until finally, Zhang Mingxi looked at the last plump Three-Eyed River Goby.

His eyes lit up.

This Three-Eyed River Goby was quite large, visually estimated to be around five pounds, which was not a common sight.

Zhang Mingxi coughed twice to clear his throat and said, "Take a good look at this Three-Eyed River Goby. Although it looks plump and sturdy, this type of fish is often gold on the outside but rotten on the inside. It's an old timer in the river, and the meat is loose and flavorless, like chewing wax..."

"Look at the crack on its head; that's from the clumsy technique of the fisherman. This fish won't live for another two hours. If you take it back, it definitely won't be fresh..."

Li Niuhe cooperated by reaching out and provocatively rubbing the protruding crack on the Three-Eyed River Goby's forehead.

The Three-Eyed River Goby flicked its head impatiently, but the annoying human hand kept pressing down on it.

Enraged, the Three-Eyed River Goby slammed its body against the ground, instantly launching itself into the air. Its fat tail struck Zhang Mingxi squarely in the face before it landed heavily and began thrashing on the ground.

"Damn it! You dead fish!" Li Niuhe was furious and immediately raised his hand to strike the Three-Eyed River Goby to death.

Lin Yi's eyes turned cold, and the muscles in his legs tensed instantly.

"Stop!" Zhang Mingxi's pupils trembled slightly, and he immediately blocked Li Niuhe.

"A-Xi, what are you doing!" Li Niuhe asked, confused.

Zhang Mingxi gave Li Niuhe a look, then turned to look at Lin Yi with a calm expression.

"Junior Brother, I see the quality of your fish is average. How about you give me this batch for five hundred wen, and I'll bring you a better batch tomorrow?"

"Five hundred wen! A-Xi, have you lost your mind? Spending five hundred wen on a pile of rotten trash?" Li Niuhe exclaimed in shock.

Zhang Mingxi smiled and placated him, "Sigh, you can't say it like that. Junior Brother Lin is our junior brother after all; there's no reason to let him suffer a loss."

Lin Yi rubbed his chin and said, "Five hundred wen? That's a very high price."

"Right?" Zhang Mingxi smiled.

"Indeed. So, five hundred wen is enough to buy a treasure fish? Why don't I give you five taels of silver, Brother Zhang—could you get me ten treasure fish?" Lin Yi said with a mocking smile.

Zhang Mingxi's smile froze and came to an abrupt halt.