Senior Fisher-Farmer

Leaving the Welcoming Inn, Chen Jianghe returned to his fishing boat.

He had only recently taken a Qi-Nourishing Pill, so his need for spirit stones was not so urgent. Besides, he was about to enter the Inner Waters, and his pay next year might be higher.

Thus, he had not accepted the five spirit stones Yu Daniu offered him, taking only the one spirit stone Yu Daniu owed him.

"Back down to one spirit stone and fifteen grains of spirit sand."

After the Yun Household collected the fish, he had possessed one spirit stone and a hundred and twenty-four grains of spirit sand. Buying a Qi-Nourishing Pill had cost him one spirit stone and a hundred and five grains of spirit sand.

Today's little celebration had cost another four grains of spirit sand.

"Big Blue Fish really isn't something people at the early Qi Refining stage can afford."

A single braised Big Blue Fish weighing three jin cost a full three grains of spirit sand, enough to cover four months of everyday expenses.

He stopped dwelling on these trifling matters.

Chen Jianghe turned his thoughts to entering the Inner Waters. Senior Fisher-Farmers also raised blue fish, but theirs were Small Blue Fish.

He had no clear idea of exactly how they were raised.

He would have to wait until he reached the Inner Waters and follow the Yun Household's instructions.

With Xiao Hei around, his "talent for fish farming" was quite good.

"Xiao Hei is still in the Five-One-Two Waters. How am I supposed to take him to the Inner Waters?" Chen Jianghe felt this was a difficult problem.

Returning to the Five-One-Two Waters now and keeping Xiao Hei beside him was certainly out of the question. Xiao Hei had not entered a rank, and the abundant spiritual energy in his body could not be drawn inward. He would definitely be discovered.

That might cause unnecessary trouble.

After all, on the surface, every bit of his annual pay was perfectly accounted for. He could not possibly spare spirit stones to awaken a Black Crystal Mystic Tortoise's intelligence and help it cultivate.

Since he could not take Xiao Hei away now, he could only wait until he entered the Inner Waters, then find time to return to the Five-One-Two Waters.

"Once I enter the Inner Waters, another Junior Fisher-Farmer will surely move into the Five-One-Two Waters. Fisher-Farmers are forbidden from entering one another's waters, so I still need to have Xiao Hei leave the Five-One-Two Waters first."

With that thought, Chen Jianghe sailed back to the Five-One-Two Waters through the night. For now, these waters still belonged to him.

After reaching the Five-One-Two Waters,

he formed a hand seal for the Water-Avoidance Spell, then jumped into the lake and dove down.

Before long, he saw Xiao Hei swimming toward him, as though sensing his arrival.

"Woo~ woo~ woo~"

Xiao Hei let out joyful calls, blowing multicolored bubbles.

"Xiao Hei, we're moving. We're going somewhere with richer spiritual energy to cultivate. It'll let you enter a rank and become a spirit beast very soon."

Chen Jianghe turned his divine sense inward, conveying the message to Xiao Hei through the Spirit-Turtle Mark on his spiritual platform.

"...Woo-woo~"

Xiao Hei froze at first, then called excitedly in one direction, seemingly asking Chen Jianghe where they were moving.

The direction his tortoise head thrust fiercely toward was precisely the Inner Waters.

"That's right. We're moving to the Inner Waters. The spiritual energy there is extremely abundant. It'll greatly benefit both our cultivation."

Chen Jianghe was not surprised that Xiao Hei could guess where they were moving. After all, he was a half-step spirit beast of the Outer Waters, so he surely knew the Inner Waters were richer in spiritual energy.

"You need to burrow deep into the mud, then pass through the barrier of lake grass and hide at the bottom of the lake channel. I'll come get you in a month."

"Woo~ woo-woo~~"

Xiao Hei nodded his tortoise head wildly.

After giving his instructions, Chen Jianghe returned to the surface. To avoid attracting attention, he planned to stay in the Five-One-Two Waters for two days before heading to the harbor.

Xiao Hei swam merrily toward a huge coral rock on the lakebed. Beneath it was a conspicuous mound of mud, with a few tender shoots of aquatic grass growing on top.

Using all four claws, he dug open the mound. "Woo-woo~" (Father, Father.)

"Hiss, hiss..."

The old tortoise had been sleeping deeply, tucked inside his millstone-sized shell. Suddenly awakened by Xiao Hei's noise, his temper flared, and he swatted Xiao Hei with a claw.

Xiao Hei was knocked several meters away, but he was not angry. He blew bubbles in joy and excitement.

"Woo..." (I'm moving, Father. I'm going to the Immortal Domain, Father. Do you know? I'm going to the Immortal Domain where the legendary immortal fish live.)

Xiao Hei spoke excitedly to the old tortoise.

"Hiss~ hiss~!"

The old tortoise, still bleary with sleep and grumpy at being awakened, suddenly snapped awake, brimming with energy.

(The Immortal Domain? You're going to the Immortal Domain passed down in the Azure-Scaled Fish's ancestral tales!)

"Woo~" (Yes, yes.)

Xiao Hei nodded solemnly.

"Hiss..." (You've gone mad. There's a barrier around the Immortal Domain. We can't get in. If you force your way in, the immortal light will blast you into pulp.)

"Woo-woo~"

Xiao Hei told the old tortoise that he had a way to enter the Immortal Domain and would be fine. Once he had achieved success in his cultivation there, he would definitely return to visit him.

He did not tell his father about the two-legged beast.

Because that was his secret.

As morning mist settled over the lake, a thread of golden red seeped across the heavens. Smoky haze drifted over the duckweed, blurring the black-canopied boats into silhouettes. Dew clung to flags and sails, refracting halos like colored glass.

A hundred-zhang ship sailed along the lake channel through mist that spread like silk gauze. The rising sun melted the lake's surface into scattered gold. A White Egret at the bow folded its wings, the dew on their tips steaming into a thin, seven-colored haze in the dawn light.

Thirty-five Junior Fisher-Farmers, Chen Jianghe among them, stood at the bow, watching Yun Bufan in the breeze.

"From today onward, you are Senior Fisher-Farmers of the Yun Household. I hope you can all prove equal to the task and become pillars of the Yun Household in the future."

Yun Bufan swept his gaze over every person and said gravely, "I proposed to the Lineage that we select the best Junior Fisher-Farmers to fill the Senior Fisher-Farmer positions. Don't disappoint me, and work hard to secure a future for yourselves."

"Thank you, Young Master Yun."

The thirty-five Fisher-Farmers thanked him in unison, their ringing voices startling the White Egret resting at the bow into flight.

"Mm."

Yun Bufan nodded and beckoned an attendant over. "Explain to them what Senior Fisher-Farmers need to do."

"Yes, Young Master."

Yun Bufan turned and entered the cabin, leaving the task of explaining the Senior Fisher-Farmers' duties to his attendant.

Yet none of the Fisher-Farmers present dared underestimate this attendant.

Judging by the fluctuations of magical power emanating from him, his cultivation had actually reached the late Qi Refining stage.

"My name is Yun San, and I am Young Master Bufan's attendant. I'll now explain what you need to do as Senior Fisher-Farmers and what you need to be mindful of while living in the Inner Waters."

Though Yun San was small and thin, a faintly perceptible viciousness accompanied his words, striking fear into their hearts.

"What Senior Fisher-Farmers need to raise are Small Blue Fish. These so-called Small Blue Fish fry are actually Big Blue Fish weighing at least four jin and five liang.

"Big Blue Fish of this weight already contain a considerable amount of spiritual energy. Your job is to make their spiritual energy draw inward and transform them into Small Blue Fish weighing less than one jin. In other words, you must raise Big Blue Fish into ranked spirit beasts."

His words shocked everyone.

Big Blue Fish were born ill-tempered and possessed a deep-seated viciousness. They even fought and devoured their own kind.

With such low intelligence, how could they be raised into spirit beasts?

"The feed they require is Immortal Spirit Rice. It can eliminate the Big Blue Fish's viciousness and enhance their intelligence.

"But remember, Immortal Spirit Rice may only be fed to Big Blue Fish. Anyone caught stealing it to eat or secretly feeding it to their own spirit beast will have their dantian destroyed and be expelled from Mirror Moon Lake."