Treasure Fish Crimson Firefin

That afternoon, Wei Luo hid the boat in the reed beds and carried his fish basket home along the shore. His mother was still waiting for him at home to eat.

Pingjiang Town had originally been a small town, but after several centuries of development, it now had tens of thousands of households.

As its population grew, the town continued to expand. Decades ago, it had already become no different from other cities.

The Sun Family was one of the more powerful clans in Pingjiang Town.

After hearing from Liu Changle that the Sun Family was recruiting, Wei Luo considered using the [Great Thousand Revelation] to simulate it.

[Sun Family Recruitment Event Simulation]

[Time required: six shichen]

Seeing that it would take a full six shichen, he did not choose to simulate it right away.

The Great Thousand Revelation could only simulate one thing at a time. He had rented the boat for a day and still planned to go back out on the river to fish after eating at home.

There were ways to shorten the simulation time: gather enough relevant information, or possess the necessary knowledge oneself.

The Sun Family matter was not urgent. Since word of their recruitment had already spread, more news would surely come before long.

After winding through the sour-smelling alleyways, Wei Luo soon arrived at Yellow Mud Alley.

His home was one of the dilapidated courtyards in this row. The moment he reached the mouth of the alley, Uncle Cao, the neighbor who often squatted there, stood and said to him.

"Xiao Luo, where have you been? Hurry home and take a look—Feng Hao has come knocking again!"

At those words, Wei Luo's face darkened, and he quickened his pace toward home.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A burly man with a scalp full of sores was pounding hard on his courtyard gate, his face vicious.

Calling it knocking would be too kind. He was practically smashing the door, making it thunder and shake.

Seeing this, the neighbors all detoured around him.

"Pay your debts!"

"Don't think you can hide from me! Why don't you ask around and find out who I, Feng Hao, am!"

"If you don't pay up, I'm splashing shit all over your place!"

The moment he saw this debt-collecting fiend, Wei Luo frowned.

Half a month ago, his mother had taken on an odd job: delivering a porcelain vase from the east side of town to the west.

It should have been easy work, but an accident happened along the way. Someone bumped into her, and the porcelain vase shattered.

Feng Hao had immediately come knocking, claiming the vase was from the previous dynasty and worth several taels of silver.

With a casual simulation, Wei Luo had learned that it was hardly from the previous dynasty. Calling it from the day before yesterday would have been more believable.

This was a scam from beginning to end!

He had considered reporting it to the authorities, but in Pingjiang Town, even three-year-old children knew that the county yamen opened its doors for money: with reason but no coin, do not enter.

Moreover, Feng Hao was a notorious local thug and bully. Rumor had it that he often dealt with the gangs.

Feng Hao had done this sort of thing plenty of times. Poor commoners like Wei Luo had always had no choice but to swallow it.

If they dared resist, a few deaths in the night would be nothing strange.

Wei Luo had to consider his mother, so he could only give Feng Hao the family's emergency savings as compensation.

But he had already paid the money. What money was Feng Hao demanding now?

Wei Luo approached with a grim expression to argue with him.

"Feng Hao, what exactly do you want? Didn't I give you the money last time? Why are you here collecting debts again?"

Feng Hao merely sneered.

"What do you mean, gave it to me? That was only the interest. You haven't paid back the principal yet!"

Wei Luo's breath caught. He nearly failed to restrain himself from smashing Feng Hao's rotten teeth with one punch.

One reason he wanted to earn money and practice martial arts was Feng Hao.

In this world, without strength, one could only be bullied and trampled at will.

After a moment of silence, he asked:

"Just tell me how much is still owed. Give me some time, and I'll definitely pay it back."

Hearing that Wei Luo was still willing to pay, Feng Hao narrowed his eyes and grinned, exposing his blackened yellow teeth.

"Not much, not much. Just three taels of silver. As long as you pay it, this matter is settled."

Wei Luo could not be bothered to keep wrangling with Feng Hao. He only said that he would repay the money in a month, and Feng Hao finally left.

But after walking only a short distance away, Feng Hao immediately wore a disgusted look and began patting himself all over.

"If it weren't for cooperating with that lord, I'd never come to this jinx's doorstep."

The jinx Feng Hao spoke of was Wei Luo's mother, Zhao Rong.

Inside the courtyard, Zhao Rong was wearing a sorrowful expression, constantly wiping away tears as she muttered things like, "The White Tiger brings baleful intent," and "It's all my fault."

Her hands were still trembling. Feng Hao's visit had clearly frightened her badly.

Ever since Wei Luo could remember, he had often heard his mother mention such things. She was very delicate-looking, but fate had treated her poorly.

Wei Luo had no father. His mother had supported him alone by taking on all sorts of odd jobs, such as mending fishing nets. Her hands were covered in grooves carved by the nets.

His mother had once told him that she had brought death upon his father.

As for who his father was, Wei Luo had asked before, but his mother always refused to speak of it.

Wei Luo had never believed in fate. Seeing his mother like this, he hurriedly comforted her.

"Mother, don't say that. It's all because Feng Hao has gone too far in bullying us."

Zhao Rong sighed again, her face filled with misery.

"But where can we find more money to give him?"

In this world, the government imposed layer upon layer of taxes, while gangs and clans pressed down on the poor. There were scarcely any ways to earn money.

The money they had paid Feng Hao last time had already been the entirety of their family's savings. They truly could not scrape together even half a tael now.

"Luo'er, Mother has only dragged you down. Go. The farther away you go, the better..."

In ancient society, this was how it was for a household without a man. For a mother and son alone to survive was harder than scaling the heavens.

Zhao Rong's heart was full of helplessness, but at that moment, Wei Luo took something from his fish basket.

"Mother, don't worry. Isn't it just money? Once we sell this fish, we'll have money."

When Zhao Rong saw the palm-sized, bright-red little fish in Wei Luo's hand, she froze.

"This is... a treasure fish?"

"That's right. This fish is called Crimson Firefin. I caught it in the river this morning. If we take it to the fish market, it can sell for at least three or four taels!"

This treasure fish was the high-value catch revealed through the simulation. Had Wei Luo not been so careful, he might have overlooked it.

There was no need to say how precious treasure fish were.

Zhao Rong usually took on work mending fishing nets and often dealt with fishermen. She knew that catching a treasure fish was what fishermen dreamed of most.

Many fishermen could go an entire year without catching a single treasure fish, yet her son had caught one on his first day out on the water.

Zhao Rong looked at her son's delicate face, her heart full of relief.

At some point, her son had grown up. He was now able to hold up this family.

With the treasure fish, the gloom in Zhao Rong's heart instantly dispersed, and some life returned to her face at last.

"Luo'er, you've grown up..."

"Mother will cook for you. I'll make your favorite lard rice!"

Watching his mother busy herself before the stove, the smile on Wei Luo's face gradually faded.

Would Feng Hao really keep his word?

Even if I sell the treasure fish this time and give him the money, will there be a next time?

He barely needed to think before the answer arose in his heart.

I must practice martial arts!

For people like Feng Hao, yielding would only make them push their luck further. Only by possessing absolute strength himself could he avoid being bullied.