Hate

Another half month passed.

At the fish market.

Only two pairs of old and young remained kneeling outside Xu Fan's courtyard gate.

And just now, Xu Fan had ignored them again and walked straight out of the fish market, dashing their hopes once more.

"Mother, let's stop kneeling! Let's stop!"

"I won't learn martial arts anymore! Even if he wants to teach me now, I won't learn!"

Yudan was shivering from the cold, his lips cracked and dry. Overcome with emotion, he suddenly stood, staggering and nearly falling.

His eyes were red and brimming with tears as he looked at his mother, who had knelt with him for more than half a month so he could learn martial arts.

The weather was bitterly cold. Even though the snow had long since stopped, coming here to kneel for one or two double-hours every day was torture.

Looking at his mother's pale face, at how she might collapse at any moment, he felt the resentment in his heart turn to hatred. He ground his teeth and spoke word by word:

"He's a selfish man!"

"He just doesn't want us fishermen to learn martial arts too! He's afraid we'll surpass him, afraid we'll compete with him for the treasure fish in Peach Blossom Spring Lake!"

"Now that he's become a martial master and a big shot in the fish market, he's thrown away his identity as the descendant of generations of fishermen and wants to draw a clear line between us!"

"He wants lowly fishermen like us to look up to him for the rest of our lives! He's a despicable, selfish man!"

"Even if Xu Fan won't take me, I'll become a martial master! I'll surpass him and defeat him!"

They both came from fishing families, so why wouldn't Xu Fan take him as a martial arts disciple?

Hadn't he shown enough sincerity by kneeling in the bitter cold for a month?

If even that couldn't prove his sincerity and determination to learn martial arts, what could?

They both came from fishing families, so why wouldn't Xu Fan lend him a hand?

"My son, I'm sorry."

The woman embraced Yudan, her heart aching for him as two streams of hot tears flowed unchecked down her face.

The martial master at the martial arts school had said that Yudan had talent.

If only her family weren't registered as lowborn, if only they had money.

Yudan's words shook Gensheng, who was still kneeling. He took a deep breath and stood as well.

"Grandpa, let's go home. I won't learn martial arts either."

Zhang Gensheng lowered his head, his voice barely audible.

His grandfather was old, and going on like this was no solution.

Perhaps, just as Yudan had said, Xu Fan would never take them as disciples.

"All right, let's go home."

The old man rose unsteadily and leaned on his grandson as they walked slowly away.

They met four people strolling toward them.

At the front was a handsome, dashing young master in fine clothes, a folding fan in his hand. His every gesture betrayed his extraordinary background.

A young woman at his side smiled prettily as she chatted happily with him.

Two men followed behind them. They were none other than Li He, the chief, and Lü Hu, the steward. Their fawning expressions made the grandfather and grandson, both fishermen, wonder if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Even before Xu Fan, the two men had never been so obsequious.

Who were that man and woman?

Coming to their senses, the grandfather and grandson hurriedly stepped aside and lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer.

They were terrified of being casually beaten to death.

Fishermen's lives were cheap; they couldn't afford to offend important people.

The four walked straight up to Yudan and his mother, who were preparing to leave. The handsome young man at their head tapped his folding fan and smiled.

"It seems you really hate Xu Fan?"

They had heard the boy's resentful accusations from a distance just now.

It looked like Xu Fan had gone fishing on the lake again.

He had intended to use this man as an example to reassert the Han Household's prestige.

That would show these lowly people that gaining a little strength didn't mean they could turn the heavens upside down and disregard the rules.

"I hate him!"

"I have to learn martial arts! No matter what it costs, I'll surpass him and defeat him!"

Yudan nodded emphatically, his eyes red.

"As it happens, I need a dog to lead me to that Xu Fan."

A smile curved Han Tianhao's lips as he looked at the lovely young woman beside him.

"Miss Suyang, how about we go take a look at Peach Blossom Spring Lake?"

This legitimate daughter of the Lin Household in Wuling County had both talent and looks. She had already completed six Blood Exchanges and was qualified to be his concubine.

They had gotten along well on the journey here.

"You decide, Brother Tianhao. Suyang will do as you say."

Lin Suyang nodded shyly.

He was the full younger brother of that member of the Han Household on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. His talent was just as good, and he was an excellent choice for a husband.

Although he wasn't as outstanding as his older brother, that was only compared to a genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Han Tianhao was only nineteen, yet he had already completed seven Blood Exchanges. He had a chance of becoming a Grandmaster in the future.

There were few in all of Yin Mountain Prefecture who could compare to him.

"Good, good."

Han Tianhao laughed heartily, pleased with his decision to come.

Although the food, drink, and entertainment here weren't much, having a beauty at his side wasn't bad either.

More importantly, there was Peach Blossom Spring Lake.

Compared to before, some Emperor Flow Serum had fallen into Peach Blossom Spring Lake, causing Grandmaster-level exotic beasts to appear.

No, they should be called demons.

The number of exotic beasts and treasure fish in the lake had greatly increased, even in the shallows. It was undoubtedly an excellent place to cultivate.

That was why he had specifically requested to come here.

He intended to use the lake's endless supply of treasure fish and exotic beasts to complete nine Blood Exchanges as soon as possible. While he was at it, he would see whether a change of location could help him comprehend Martial Dao True Intention sooner.

If he could master a kind of Martial Dao True Intention, he too would have a chance to join the upper sect and compete for a place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, just like his eldest brother!

"I know where Xu Fan is! I'll take you there, my lord!"

Yudan stood dazed for a moment before he came to his senses. He immediately knelt and spoke excitedly.

The young man before him had a noble bearing and surely came from an extraordinary background.

He had asked for Xu Fan right away. His strength had to be formidable for him to be so confident!

With the steward and chief standing behind him, it was clear that this was the fish market's true backer!

"Mother, you go home first."

With that, Yudan turned and said ingratiatingly:

"Please follow me, my lord."

His heart raced with excitement. Heaven had eyes!

Heaven would deal with the wicked!

Xu Fan, your retribution has come!

On Peach Blossom Spring Lake.

Xu Fan took his black-awning boat to the waters where the shallows met the depths, killing treasure fish one after another with the Golden Light Technique.

From fish weighing a few catties to those weighing dozens, he spared none.

"At this rate, it won't take a month to finish charging it."

After he had caught and killed so many fish over the past few months to charge the Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram, the number of treasure fish in the shallows near the reed marsh had fallen sharply.

Even with three or five swimming over every day, it still wasn't enough.

So he had come to deeper waters of his own accord.

Along the way, he had also killed three fish-type exotic beasts. He had eaten a small one for a taste and used the other two for charging.

"Hmm? Another exotic beast has come right to my door."

After absorbing all the treasure fish he had caught, Xu Fan noticed a straight line racing across the distant surface of the water.

A dark golden sheen was faintly visible beneath it.

It was astonishingly fast, coming within twenty meters in the blink of an eye.

Sploosh!

In the light of the setting sun, a black-and-gold fish over three meters long leaped from the water and pounced down at the black-awning boat!

"A Black Gold Snakehead?"

Xu Fan raised an eyebrow. Magic power circulated around him as he activated the Divine Movement Technique, and the black-awning boat beneath his feet seemed to hit an accelerator, surging forward to meet it.

A flash of golden light followed, piercing through the Black Gold Snakehead from below.

Smack!

Its enormous body crashed down, throwing up a huge spray.

"Peach Blossom Spring Lake really is a peach blossom spring."