The monstrous fish

The bell marking the end of classes rang out, breaking the afternoon stillness.

Chu Bai packed his things and left the academy without lingering or exchanging pleasantries with his classmates. Instead, he headed straight for the ferry landing outside the city.

The sun sank in the west, its golden-red afterglow draping the rippling Three-Bath River in a dazzling robe of sunset hues.

Beside the landing, several rather weathered fishing boats bobbed gently on the waves. An old fisherman with dark skin and a deeply furrowed face sat at the bow of one, puffing away on his tobacco pipe. Through the curling smoke, his timeworn face looked somewhat indistinct.

Chu Bai approached, cupped his hands, and politely asked, "Sir, I'd like to rent a boat."

The old fisherman narrowed his eyes and looked Chu Bai over through the smoke. Seeing a refined young scholar in a blue-green robe, he could not help feeling surprised.

"Young man, what do you want a boat for at this hour? It's almost dark. The scenery on this river may be pretty, but it isn't safe. Especially at night—strange things happen."

"I enjoy nighttime scenery. I'd like to compose poetry and paint on the river, and perhaps... catch a few fresh fish to taste." Chu Bai casually invented an excuse without batting an eyelid. He took a string of copper coins he had prepared from inside his robe and handed it over. "Here are thirty copper coins to rent that little skiff of yours for a few days. I won't go into deep water, just wander around the reed beds nearby. I won't go far."

At the sight of the coins, the old fisherman's cloudy eyes brightened.

Thirty copper coins were no small sum, especially as extra income.

"All right. As long as you stay away from the deep water in the middle of the river, there shouldn't be much trouble." The old fisherman accepted the money and hefted it in his hand, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. Then he tapped out his pipe.

"Take that little one. I just sealed the bottom with tung oil, so it's good and sound. But let me say the unpleasant part first: if you run into anything strange or hear anything, don't get curious. Head straight for shore."

"Thank you for the warning, sir. I'll keep it in mind."

Chu Bai nodded, untied the rope from the wooden post, and jumped aboard the little skiff.

Gripping the oars in both hands, he made a gentle stroke, and the boat slowly left the landing.

As night fell, a thin mist rose over the river, blurring even the moonlight. Silence surrounded him, broken only by the splash of the oars cutting through the water and the occasional croak of a frog.

Contrary to what he had told the old fisherman, Chu Bai did not stay near the reed beds. He worked both oars and followed the current, slowly rowing toward the bend where he remembered the spiritual qi being richest.

About an hour later, he reached the center of the bend.

The current was gentle here, and tall reeds surrounded it on every side, keeping it well concealed.

"What rich water spiritual qi!"

The moment he stopped the boat, Chu Bai felt that the air around him was so moist it could almost drip.

Compared with the shore, the concentration of spiritual qi here was at least thirty percent higher. The distinctive "pure bathing spirit flow" was also exceptionally active, slipping into his pores without even needing deliberate guidance.

Secretly delighted, Chu Bai put away the oars and sat cross-legged at the bow.

Adjusting his breathing to the rise and fall of the skiff, he soon entered a meditative state.

The keen perception granted by his [food injury leaks elegance] fate destiny allowed him to clearly detect the movement of every wisp of spiritual qi.

Threads of cool, pure water spiritual qi flowed along his meridians into his dantian, mingling with the pure-origin spiritual qi within him. The pleasurable sensation almost made him moan aloud.

If I could cultivate here every night, my progress certainly wouldn't be slow, even without meat to nourish me!

Tonight, I can accumulate at least half a wisp more spiritual qi!

As the night deepened, the mist over the river grew thicker, nearly enveloping the little boat entirely.

Just as Chu Bai was immersed in the pleasure of cultivation, an inexplicable warning suddenly surged through his heart.

"Hm?"

Chu Bai's eyes snapped open, his brows tightly furrowed.

His new fate destiny had brought him not only faster cultivation, but also an exceptionally keen awareness of his surroundings. At this moment, he sensed a trace of extreme danger drawing near.

Beneath the previously tranquil surface, a deeply concealed undercurrent seemed to be surging rapidly.

Unlike a natural current, this one moved with unmistakable purpose, as though something enormous were rising swiftly from the depths, heading straight for his little boat!

Something's coming up!

Chu Bai's heart tightened. He immediately stopped cultivating and instinctively reached for the oar beside him.

Almost the instant he grabbed it, the calm water near the skiff exploded.

A deep, thunderous crash rang out, like a heavy hammer striking a drum.

A violent impact slammed into the bottom of the boat. As though tossed up by a giant wave, the entire skiff tilted sharply to the right and nearly capsized.

Such tremendous strength!

Chu Bai clung desperately to the gunwale. Drawing on the solid lower-body training he had gained as a sparring partner at the Zhao Residence, he planted his legs on the deck as though they had taken root. His body swayed violently with the boat, but he forced himself to remain steady.

By the hazy moonlight, he finally saw his attacker's true appearance.

As the spray fell, a monstrous fish half the size of a person leaped clear of the water.

Blue-black scales covered its body like iron armor, gleaming coldly beneath the moonlight.

Its dorsal fin was sharp as a blade, and its gaping, blood-red maw bristled with serrated fangs. Its eerie green eyes blazed with bloodlust and a chilling, baleful aura.

"This... this is a river demon that's gained sentience?!"

Chu Bai's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

The legends of the Three-Bath River were actually true! There really were creatures in this river that had become monsters!

It wants to overturn the boat!

Understanding flashed through Chu Bai's mind.

This monstrous fish clearly had not attacked passing boats for the first time. It was extremely clever and knew it ruled the water. Once it knocked its prey in, death was certain, with no chance of survival!

"Move faster!!"

Chu Bai roared, no longer sparing a thought for cultivation or spiritual qi.

Only one thought remained in his mind—Escape! Get to shore!

He seized the oar and paddled desperately toward the bank.

The muscles in his arms bulged, veins standing out as he pushed the explosive strength granted by [food injury leaks elegance] to its limit.

He swung the hardwood oar so quickly that even its afterimages were barely visible. Each stroke threw up a great splash, driving the skiff toward shore like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The monstrous fish refused to give up after its first strike failed. As nimble as a phantom underwater, it flicked its tail and charged again, slamming hard into the side of the boat.

Thud! Thud!

The boat rocked violently, creaking under the strain as though it might break apart at any moment. Every impact made Chu Bai's heart skip a beat, and the tremendous force traveled through the hull, jolting his arms numb.

This was a race between life and death!

The monstrous fish was exceedingly fast underwater, but the skiff was not too far from shore. With Chu Bai's astonishing bursts of strength, he forced his way to the shallows despite its repeated ramming.

Made it!

Looking at the reed beds just ahead, a fierce glint flashed in Chu Bai's eyes.

Scrrrape—

Carried by its final surge of momentum, the skiff shot onto the muddy shallows. Its bottom scraped against sand and stones with a piercing noise before it finally grounded to a halt.

Without thinking, Chu Bai grabbed the oar and prepared to jump out and escape.

But the monstrous fish had been driven into a killing frenzy and had no intention of letting the prey at its jaws get away.

Using the force of one final charge, it leaped high from the shallows. Its massive body tore through the air, its blood-red maw full of sharp teeth gaping wide as it hurtled straight at Chu Bai aboard the boat, carrying a gust of foul-smelling wind!

Its pounce surged with savage might!

Even with Chu Bai's sturdy physique, a bite would likely tear away a huge chunk of flesh, if not kill him outright!

"You're asking to die!"

With nowhere left to retreat, the terror in Chu Bai's eyes faded, replaced by the ruthless resolve of a man driven into a corner.

Instead of turning to flee, he planted one foot ahead of the other, gripped the oar in both hands, and thrust it like a spear straight into the monstrous fish's open mouth!

The terrifying force of its bite instantly crushed the hardwood oar to pieces, sending splinters flying.

Yet that brief obstruction checked the fish's momentum, and it crashed heavily onto the deck.

Bang!

The boat abruptly sank lower. Out of the water, the monstrous fish remained ferocious, thrashing its tail as it tried to lunge and bite. But its movements were severely restricted, stripped of its underwater agility.

Chu Bai seized the chance to jump off the boat and snatched up a sharp-edged river stone the size of a head from the rocks along the bank.

"You were king in the water. Now that you're on land, I'm sending you to the next world!"

Chu Bai roared, nimbly sidestepping a powerful sweep of the fish's tail before raising the stone high.

At that moment, the techniques for exerting force he had learned as a sparring partner at the Zhao Residence proved crucial. Coordinating his waist and stance, he gathered the strength of his entire body into his arms and smashed down!

Bang!

With a dull thud, the monstrous fish's head caved in slightly. Its body convulsed violently, and it let out a screech that set his teeth on edge.

Chu Bai looked like a man possessed, not daring to stop for even a moment.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blow after blow, he pounded it without rest.

Each strike brought the crack of breaking bones and a spray of flesh and blood.

Only when the fish's head was utterly smashed to pulp and stopped moving, leaving its body twitching faintly with reflexive spasms, did he collapse onto the ground in exhaustion.

"Hah... hah..."

Chu Bai gasped for breath, soaked through with cold sweat and splattered fish blood, reeking of its foul stench. His hands trembled slightly from the excessive exertion, and the skin between his thumbs and forefingers had split and bled from the repeated shocks.

After calming himself a little, Chu Bai's gaze settled on the dead monstrous fish.

Even with its head smashed, its blue-black scales still shone with a metallic luster, giving off a faint, savage, baleful aura.

"This thing had boundless strength and scales like iron... it clearly wasn't an ordinary creature."

Chu Bai reached out and gently stroked its hard scales, a thought stirring in his mind.

Could it... have become a demon beast?

If it was a demon beast, then its scales, its mouthful of sharp teeth, and even its flesh and blood containing spiritual qi... wouldn't they be an enormous windfall?

At that thought, the weariness in Chu Bai's eyes vanished, replaced by a gleam of excitement.

Riches lie amid danger—the ancients truly did not deceive me!