Fish-Dragon Gang's Li Dadao

When the Liu father and son returned from the river, they came back with a full haul.

Liu Changle looked at the several dozen knife fish in the fish hold, his face brimming with pride.

Today's voyage had truly been a bumper harvest. Knife fish were delicious, and selling them to the taverns in town would fetch at least two hundred copper coins.

On the Hun River, how many fishermen could reap a harvest like his father's?

"Dad, that Wei Luo kid clearly doesn't know what's good for him. If he finds out about today's catch, he'll regret it until his teeth fall out."

Hearing this, Old Liu merely shook his head lightly.

His son had never suffered much since childhood. He was already sixteen, yet his temperament remained so flighty, without an ounce of steadiness.

Wei Luo, on the other hand, did not speak much, but he had always been proper and well-behaved.

Old Liu more or less knew about Wei Luo's family circumstances. Wei Luo was likely so eager to earn money because of Feng Hao's threats. They were all pitiful people.

With that thought, Old Liu spoke.

"Save a fish later. Take it to Wei Luo's home."

Old Liu knew his limits. He could not help with Feng Hao's matter, and besides, he had a family to feed himself. This was all he could do within his means.

"Why? We caught these fish through blood, sweat, and tears!"

Liu Changle stubbornly craned his neck and retorted, but after receiving a slap from Old Liu, he behaved himself.

The awning boat was about to dock when someone on a skiff in the distance waved at them.

Liu Changle looked closely and saw that it was Wei Luo.

After Feng Hao's disruption, Wei Luo had not gone out on the river again that afternoon.

Treasure fish were valuable, but Wei Luo understood the saying that a man carrying jade invited trouble. So, he had come here early to wait.

"Wei Luo, how was today? Did you catch any fish? Don't tell me you came back empty-handed."

"You have no idea. The moment we cast the net today, the fish fought to dive into it..."

Even from far away, Liu Changle could not resist showing off.

"Where are your fish? Let me see what you caught."

As soon as the two boats drew alongside each other, Liu Changle jumped over at once. His loud and boisterous manner made Old Liu frown.

It was Wei Luo's first time taking a boat out, and no one had guided him. Even if he had returned empty-handed, that would have been normal.

Just as Old Liu was about to scold Liu Changle, his voice suddenly died in his throat.

"Three large yellow croakers and a soft-shelled turtle? Wei Luo, where the hell did you catch these fish?!"

When Old Liu heard Liu Changle's astonished cry, he too was stunned.

By the fish hold, Wei Luo scratched his head and smiled.

"It was nothing. My luck was just a little better. It can't compare to Uncle Liu's."

Liu Changle had originally wanted Wei Luo to see their catch, but that thought immediately vanished.

Wei Luo's fish were worth nearly twice as much as their several dozen knife fish.

After chatting for a few moments, Wei Luo revealed his purpose to Uncle Liu.

"Uncle Liu, there's something I'd like to ask your help with. I still have a fish here, but it's a little difficult to sell..."

Seeing that no one was nearby, Wei Luo took the Crimson Firefin from his fish basket.

When the Liu father and son saw the lively treasure fish, both their eyes widened.

"A treasure fish?! Where did you steal that from?"

Liu Changle cried out, his eyes full of disbelief.

He and his father had fished on the river for years and had only seen one or two treasure fish. Yet Wei Luo had caught one on his very first day out?

Comparing people really could make one furious to death. They were about the same age, so why was Wei Luo's luck so good?

Even the way Old Liu looked at Wei Luo changed. In terms of ability alone, Old Liu in his youth could not have caught up to him even on horseback.

Wei Luo had not taken out the Crimson Firefin to show off. He directly stated his purpose to Uncle Liu.

"Uncle Liu, I'd like to ask you to help me sell this fish..."

Before long, the two boats docked beside the fish market at the pier.

It was just when fishing boats were coming in to sell their catches, and the fish market was bustling, with cries of buying and selling fish ringing everywhere.

"Little Luo, let's meet up again after we sell the fish."

Once ashore, Wei Luo split up from the Liu father and son to sell their fish.

Old Liu left alone with his fish basket, while Wei Luo went with Liu Changle.

The fish market generally offered low prices for fish, so it was best to sell them to merchants who specialized in buying fish.

Liu Changle had spent a long time around the fish market and knew that taverns liked fresh catches like these most. The two carried their fish through the pier.

Once they stepped onto the pier, Liu Changle finally held his head high. The fish in their hands made fishermen repeatedly turn to look.

Before long, the two arrived at a fish-buying stall.

It belonged to Water Fortune Tower in town. Behind the stall sat a fat shopkeeper dressed in silk, with two working attendants behind him.

Liu Changle clearly dealt with the fat shopkeeper often and soon sold the knife fish in his hands for a good price.

The large yellow croakers in Wei Luo's hands were even easier to sell. After weighing them, the fat shopkeeper prepared to take them.

On the way over, Liu Changle had already told Wei Luo the price. The fat shopkeeper was willing to offer two hundred and sixty copper coins, which was not a low price.

Just as Wei Luo was about to nod and seal the deal, several people walked over from the side.

"Kid, how about selling those fish to me?"

Wei Luo turned to look, and his expression shifted slightly.

They were all dressed in black shirts and black trousers. They were members of the Fish-Dragon Gang!

The Fish-Dragon Gang was the notorious criminal gang of Pingjiang Town, and they had their own fish market at the docks.

They also did business in boat rentals, loans, and freight transport, but their methods were quite unlike those of ordinary fish merchants.

If the Fish-Dragon Gang bought these fish, getting even a hundred copper coins would count as a high price.

At the front was a burly man with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and a face full of flesh.

What surprised Wei Luo was that the burly man seemed to be gleaming faintly.

He looked carefully twice and found that a thin layer of scales seemed to cover the man's body. Sunlight reflected off them in a faint shimmer.

Wei Luo immediately understood who this man was: the Fish-Dragon Gang's hall master, Li Dadao!

He had heard before that Li Dadao was a martial artist. Now, it seemed that was true.

"Brat, you're still standing there like an idiot after seeing our hall master? Don't you know to greet him?"

One of Li Dadao's underlings shouted. The fat shopkeeper's expression changed at once, and he immediately said that he would not be buying the fish.

Liu Changle's face also turned pale. Running into Li Dadao was no good thing. Rumor had it that Li Dadao was vicious beyond measure, liable to slaughter an entire family at the slightest provocation.

Across the whole pier, the Fish-Dragon Gang was the most tyrannical of them all!

Yet, unexpectedly, Li Dadao glanced at Wei Luo and instead rebuked his subordinate.

"Is it your turn to speak? Shut the hell up!"

After saying that, he turned to Wei Luo and forced a trace of friendliness onto his face.

"Don't be afraid. I'm just craving some fresh fish. I'll buy these at a high price. How about three hundred copper coins?"

As he spoke, Li Dadao motioned for an underling to take out three strings of copper coins and hand them over.

Everyone who saw this was dumbfounded.

Li Dadao, who usually bullied the market and killed without blinking, was actually offering a high price for fish?

This was like a eunuch climbing into bed—utter nonsense.

Wei Luo looked at the money before him and felt as if it were unreal.

Seeing that he did not take it for a long while, Li Dadao smiled again, slung an arm around Wei Luo's neck, and directly stuffed the money into his clothes.

"You're Wei Luo, right? Catching fish like this at such a young age—you're quite something. Interested in joining my Fish-Dragon Gang?"

Join a criminal gang? Fight and kill? Become someone else's lackey?

Wei Luo had never considered taking such a path. After hesitating briefly, he spoke.

"I'm honored by the hall master's regard, but I'm only a small fisherman. I truly don't have the ability."

The instant he said this, Liu Changle's face went white. He feared Li Dadao would turn hostile and beat the two of them half to death.

Yet although Li Dadao frowned, seeming somewhat displeased, he ultimately patted Wei Luo on the shoulder.

"It's fine. Since that's the case, you can sell any fish you catch to our fish market from now on. I'll pay a high price."

After saying that, Li Dadao gave Wei Luo one more look before leaving with several of his men.

Only after they had gone far away did Liu Changle let out a breath and whisper.

"Today's really cursed... No, Wei Luo, could that guy possibly...

have taken a fancy to you?"

What he said was not entirely baseless. Wei Luo had inherited his mother's looks. His features were sharply defined, and he was rather handsome.

At those words, Wei Luo's body shuddered, and the money suddenly felt hot in his hands.

He recalled how Li Dadao had put an arm around him and stuffed the money into his clothes.

That look in his eyes... had seemed somewhat sticky.

And thinking again, he had neither money nor influence. What else could Li Dadao possibly want from him?

At the thought of Li Dadao's flesh-covered face, Wei Luo shuddered.

This was a serious matter, so Wei Luo immediately began frantically using the Great Thousand Revelation to deduce it.

[Deduce what Li Dadao is plotting]

[Deduce whether Li Dadao is a good person]

[Deduce whether Li Dadao has a taste for men]

[Deduce Li Dadao...]

Unfortunately, Wei Luo was meeting Li Dadao for the first time and had obtained too little information. Nearly every deduction would take several days.

Other than deducing that Li Dadao was not a good man, that he carried dozens of lives on his back, and that he was a vicious, utterly evil villain, he gained nothing.

On the way to meet up with Old Liu, Wei Luo was weighed down with worries.

Just then, a group of people pushed through the crowd and arrived at the pier.

"The Sun Family is recruiting crew members! Anyone under eighteen may apply! Become a Sun Family crew member and earn half a tael of silver each month!"

In an instant, the entire pier erupted. Everyone crowded toward the Sun Family's people.