Fortune

Ordinary low-grade Spirit Fish sold for 8–15 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The reason the Coldblood Perch was so valuable was that its blood contained a special chill, making it a superior material for crafting Talismans.

Ji Yuan had not expected that this upgrade would actually evolve the only Half-Spirit Fish in his Fish Pond into a Spirit Fish.

It was probably a benefit brought by upgrading the Fish Pond—somehow triggering a critical hit.

Regardless, with this Coldblood Perch, his current predicament was considered solved.

Ji Yuan did not want to take out a loan at exorbitant interest, but he wanted to die even less... He had crossed over once and even arrived in the cultivation world men dreamed of. No one wanted to die.

Since that was the case, the problem now was to take this Coldblood Perch to the Fish Pen, sell it, and exchange it for Spirit Stones.

Ji Yuan sat beside the Fish Pond, looking at the Spirit Fish trapped in the shallow pool... He definitely could not sell it directly. If someone with ulterior motives happened to see it, they would probably grow suspicious.

Having arrived in this turbulent and treacherous cultivation world, he naturally had to be cautious until his strength reached a level where he could stand on his own.

So the best solution was to make a trip to Cloud-Rain Marsh first and pretend he had just caught it.

He would do it as soon as he said it.

In the vast Cloud-Rain Marsh, the Coldblood Perch would only need to flick its tail once for Ji Yuan to lose sight of it forever. Unfortunately, it was now trapped in this tiny Fish Pond.

Thus, Ji Yuan used the original owner's still-unfamiliar Water Arrow Technique and easily killed the Coldblood Perch with a single arrow.

After the Spirit Fish died, he hurriedly dragged its body ashore and even applied some hemostatic powder to it, preventing it from losing more blood.

He then went to the entrance and took a look around. Only after confirming that no one was there did he carry the Spirit Fish's body onto the old covered boat and hide it in the water hold.

There had originally been a fishing boat at the level of a low-grade Dharma Tool in the household, but it too had been lost in Cloud-Rain Marsh.

After thinking it over, Ji Yuan knocked on the courtyard gate next door, where Huang Laotou lived.

"What, changed your mind and decided to go find Lousy Liu?" Huang Laotou asked with a grin, baring his missing teeth.

"I changed my mind. I'll go try Cloud-Rain Marsh again. I'll have to trouble you to look after the household, Elder Huang. If anyone comes looking for me, just tell them I went fishing."

"All right, then. Try to stay alive."

When he heard that Ji Yuan was not going to find Lousy Liu, Huang Laotou immediately lost interest.

"Mm."

Ji Yuan turned and boarded the fishing boat. With both hands braced against the oars, he sent the covered boat sailing into the boundless Cloud-Rain Marsh.

Leaning against the doorframe, Huang Laotou watched his retreating back and let out a quiet sigh.

"Merciless Cloud-Rain Marsh. Looks like there'll be one more drowned ghost soon."

"..."

After a while, Ji Yuan looked back. Only when the shore had completely vanished from sight did he search nearby for a tiny island. He cultivated there for half a day, then steered the boat straight toward the Fish Pen in Zengtou City.

If one asked what the liveliest places in Zengtou City were, the first would be that male cultivator's pleasure den.

The second was this Fish Pen.

The Fish Pen situated by the shore in particular was a place almost every fisherman visited after returning from the water.

Even though Ji Yuan had returned early—around three or four in the afternoon—the place was still packed with people.

"Brother Ye, that's quite a haul. You even caught a Sword Yellowfish. That's another ten Spirit Stones in the bag. How about treating your brothers to a good time tonight?"

"A First-Rank mid-stage Spirit Fish showed up at Returnwater Bay. It's already injured several people."

"I heard Han Feiyu broke through to the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining? Then he'll definitely be able to join the Water Dragon Sect this time. He's a talent who came out of our Zengtou City, too."

"..."

With so many mouths talking at once, Ji Yuan did not dare linger. Holding the Coldblood Perch, he went straight to the Water Dragon Sect disciple in charge of collecting fish and placed the Spirit Fish into a fish basket.

The moment the Coldblood Perch appeared, the surrounding voices quieted considerably.

"A Coldblood Perch? How long has it been since we last saw one of these?"

"Damn, it was even caught by someone at the Second Layer of Qi Refining? This guy must've stepped in dog shit all the way here!"

"..."

When he saw that it was a Coldblood Perch, the Water Dragon Sect disciple took a little more interest. "The quality's good, and the blood's been preserved fairly intact. I'll give you eighteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

What?!

Eighteen?!

The price shocked Ji Yuan. He had thought fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones would already be more than enough, but he had not expected to get three more.

Only when the Water Dragon Sect disciple placed the small handful of Spirit Stones into his hand did he come back to himself. He hurriedly asked, "I need to pay the Immortal Residence Fee. Can I use these to pay it?"

The Fish Pen and the Immortal Residence Fee were both handled by the Water Dragon Sect's "official" administration. In the past, whenever fishermen planned to head into the deep waters of Cloud-Rain Marsh, they would first pay the next month's Immortal Residence Fee here.

"You can."

The Water Dragon Sect disciple spoke expressionlessly.

"Room C-16."

Ji Yuan gave his address. The Water Dragon Sect disciple took out a jade slip and scanned it. "You're already two months behind. Six Spirit Stones in total."

"Here."

The Spirit Stones had barely warmed in his hand before one-third of them was handed over. Ji Yuan did not feel much pain at all. Instead, he felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

At least now he would not have to worry about being driven out of Cloud-Rain Marsh at any moment and left without a place to live.

After paying the rent, Ji Yuan turned and smiled, cupping his hands toward the nearby fishermen who had been watching the spectacle.

"Just luck. Just luck."

After saying that, he slipped into the crowd. After dodging left and right several times, he vanished from sight.

Only after walking a considerable distance from the Fish Pen did he look back. Once he was certain that no one was following him, he let out a long breath.

Fortunately, the marketplace was fairly safe, especially during the day.

Feeling the Spirit Stones against his chest, Ji Yuan glanced at the Panel again. If he only wanted to upgrade buildings, his current assets were enough to upgrade several of them.

But upgrading buildings alone would not be enough without other resources.

Take the Fish Pond, for example. It needed enough Half-Spirit Fish to bring its effects into full play.

As for the Pigsty, it could increase muscle mass by a hundred pounds in seven days and even perform Body Tempering, but that required a Spirit Pig... which would be another expense.

For now, the best course of action was probably to buy some Half-Spirit Fish first and make use of the Fish Pond's effects before anything else.

After all, even if they could not evolve into Spirit Fish, the 20% increase in growth speed would at least keep him from losing money.

As for the buildings, Ji Yuan planned to upgrade the Chicken Coop next.

He would also buy several Green-Yellow Chickens. The Spirit Eggs they produced would not only sustain his daily cultivation but also allow him to stop eating.

That would save him quite a considerable sum.

He would do it as soon as he said it. In the past, these Spirit Stones would mostly have been used to buy Talismans or Cultivation Pills for underwater use, so that he could risk his life in Cloud-Rain Marsh.

As for now... Ji Yuan had this to say:

You all can risk your lives. I'll stay home raising fish and feeding chickens.

Before long, Ji Yuan used the small covered boat to bring five Half-Spirit Fish and three Green-Yellow Chickens that carried traces of Demon Beast bloodline back to his own doorstep.

Huang Laotou, who had been smoking a dry tobacco pipe outside, watched Ji Yuan return with a full load. He stood up in astonishment and said, "You little brat, did you go sell your backside?"

You're the one selling your backside. Your whole family is selling their backsides... Ji Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Just luck. I happened upon a severely wounded early-stage Spirit Fish."

"You really did step in dog shit this time."

Huang Laotou's voice was practically dripping with envy.

What Ji Yuan described was not unheard of in Zengtou City. It simply happened rarely.

Watching Ji Yuan carry fish and chickens into the house, Huang Laotou snickered inwardly... Young people. Still too young. The moment they got a little money, they thought about eating and drinking instead of saving it to pay next month's Immortal Residence Fee.

Did he really think he could be this lucky every day, picking up a severely wounded Spirit Fish every month?

Yet when he turned to look at the Cloud-Rain Marsh shrouded in thick fog, Huang Laotou could not help but entertain a bold thought.

How about I go try Cloud-Rain Marsh too?

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(This is the first book by an adorable eighteen-year-old newcomer. I hope everyone will support me! Please add it to your collection, and vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!)