Since You're Already Here

"Do the Land of Wu's spiritual resources, spirits, and Demon Beasts all seem rather scarce?"

After dragging the Black Gold Snakehead over, he watched the [Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram] turn slightly in the depths of his eyes before it transformed into spiritual light and entered his body.

Sensing that its charging progress had risen considerably again, Xu Fan thought:

No, that's not quite right. Given the way cultivators in the Land of Wu behave, even if resources weren't scarce, they'd monopolize them. Rogue Cultivators only deserve their scraps?

From what Shopkeeper Xu had said, the records in Miscellaneous Records of the Land of Wu, and what he had seen and heard himself,

he had begun to discern a pattern.

For the bottom-rung Rogue Cultivators of the Land of Wu to obtain resources and Cultivation Methods, they had to join a faction.

Whether it was a cultivation Lineage or one of the three sects and four schools, they had to join first and discuss everything else afterward.

That was because places rich in spiritual essence and regions where spiritual things appeared had already been claimed as private territory.

If you dared enter, they could kill you.

Or if you did something that displeased those factions, you could bring a fatal disaster upon yourself.

"Come to think of it, things are a little better here, but who made your Lord Xu the only cultivator?"

"In this newbie village, who's a match for Lord Xu?"

Xu Fan contentedly used Law Power to propel the black-awning boat back. On the way, he happened upon a Silver Moon Rainbow Trout weighing four or five jin and casually killed it with a flick, intending to make soup when he got back.

As his cultivation advanced and he formed an Azure Origin Wheel, the Law Power within him had become sufficient to cast techniques many times, making fishing much more convenient.

He no longer had to use a net to catch a treasure fish when he found one, as he had before.

He set up the pot and lit the fire.

The most precious ingredients had to be prepared in the simplest way to bring out their freshness to the fullest.

All right, the truth was that in his previous life he had never lifted a finger and couldn't tell one grain from another. He simply didn't know how to cook.

In the dozen or so years of this life, he had been a fisherman at the very bottom of society. Having anything to eat was good enough, and he wanted it to taste good too?

He had even had to measure out salt carefully, never daring to use too much.

Things were better now, but he still didn't want to study cooking. When he craved something, he just went and bought it.

He wasn't short of money!

He casually tossed in some wild greens bought at the fish market, sprinkled in some salt, and it was done.

A pot of delicious fish soup appeared before him.

"Luckily, treasure fish don't smell very fishy, and they're highly nourishing and helpful for cultivation. They taste good no matter how they're cooked."

"Otherwise, with Lord Xu eating fish every day, I might eat it until I threw up."

Xu Fan picked out a little less than half the fish, added some soup, and happily began to eat.

But after only a few bites, he frowned slightly.

"Oh, Lord Xu's been living quite comfortably here on Peach Blossom Spring Lake, hasn't he?"

"You've actually eaten so much treasure fish you're sick of it?"

A black-awning boat was approaching slowly in the distance.

There were five people aboard, and the one speaking was none other than Lü Hu, the fish market steward.

Ever since Lü Hu had become steward, he had avoided meeting Xu Fan because he was weaker than him.

But he also had no desire to curry favor with this lowly commoner who had started out as a fisherman.

Now he had finally gotten his chance. Not only had the Han Household refused to give up the Canal Gang and the fish market, but they had also sent the Third Young Master, Han Tianhao, over.

A genius who cultivated superior martial arts and had completed seven blood exchanges at the age of only twenty!

No matter how strong Xu Fan was, could he be stronger than the exceptionally gifted Third Young Master from an Aristocratic Clan?

"Your day has come too, Xu Fan!"

Yudan was grinning broadly, his spirits high.

How could a fisherman who had lucked into a martial art compare with the Third Young Master, who came from such an extraordinary background?

Wasn't he about to die all the same?

Now Yudan also had a chance to practice martial arts. He would surely surpass Xu Fan in the future!

Even if he was treated like a dog, he would be the dog of a great Aristocratic Clan!

Compared with those two and their arrogance, Manager Li He felt uneasy.

Xu Fan was far too calm.

That wasn't how a normal person should behave!

Their group had clearly come with ill intentions.

Shouldn't Xu Fan have plunged straight into Peach Blossom Spring Lake and used the strange beasts that might be in the lake to obstruct them while he fled for his life?

Why was he still drinking fish soup?

Something was a hundred and ten percent wrong!

As the fish market manager who had dealt with Xu Fan the most, he knew him to some extent.

That was why he hadn't chosen to keep his distance like Steward Lü Hu.

After struggling inwardly, he had chosen to place greater faith in Third Young Master Han Tianhao after all. The Han Household stood behind him.

The Han Household not only had two grandmasters, but also a heaven-favored genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, a seed destined to become a great grandmaster.

He had also entered Saber-Nurturing Valley, an exalted sect.

That was a sect far more powerful than even the Clearwater Sect, the hegemon of Qingzhou!

At that thought, he finally felt a little more at ease.

"He's just a lucky fisherman."

"Are you Xu Fan?"

Han Tianhao stood with his hands behind his back. His expression gradually cooled, and he looked somewhat displeased.

People from a backwater like this really didn't know what was what. He actually had the leisure to drink fish soup?

"Isn't it obvious enough?"

Xu Fan rolled his eyes. Those two had already said his name. Was there anyone else here?

He finished the fish in his bowl and casually spat the bones into the lake.

"Good, good!"

Han Tianhao's expression froze.

On the way here, he had imagined Xu Fan begging for mercy, fleeing, or fighting back. This was the one scene he had never imagined.

Although he was very annoyed, it also made him take a closer look.

Was Xu Fan ignorant, or did he have something to rely on?

"This man is still within the range of Qi and Blood like an ox, with three blood exchanges. He hasn't reached Qi and Blood like a tiger."

If he were exceptionally talented and stronger than someone with seven blood exchanges, he was unlikely to remain in a little place like this.

As far as Han Tianhao knew, Lan Ci of the Clearwater Sect had spent some time at the fish market and taken a genius away with her.

Xu Fan's cultivation couldn't have escaped Lan Ci's notice. If she hadn't taken him, it meant she hadn't thought much of him.

That made sense. Completing three blood exchanges in a little over half a year was enough to be proud of in Wuling County, or even all of Yin Mountain Prefecture.

If he cultivated a superior martial art, he might one day surpass Han Tianhao.

But he would never have that chance!

"Do you know who stands before you?"

Lin Suyang couldn't contain her anger.

A fisherman who had lucked into some martial art from who knew where and gained a little strength thought himself invincible under heaven?

In the end, he came from the bottom, and his horizons were far too narrow!

"This is-"

Before she could finish, a streak of golden light flashed.

Like skewering candied hawthorns, it pierced through the woman at the front and Lü Hu and Yudan behind her.

Lin Suyang opened her mouth, but could no longer make a sound. Her body fell into the lake.

Splash!

Two more splashes followed, leaving only Han Tianhao and the petrified Zhao He aboard the boat.

"Innate?!"

Han Tianhao's eyes widened, and his voice rose sharply. His composure from moments ago was gone.

Projecting True Qi outside the body was something only an Innate grandmaster could do!

What right did a fisherman have to do that?

How was this possible?

It had only been a little over half a year!

And he had already comprehended True Intention and become a grandmaster?

Why hadn't Lan Ci taken away such a terrifying heaven-favored genius?

Or had Xu Fan looked down on the Clearwater Sect?

"You can't kill me!"

"I'm a direct descendant of the Han Household! My father is the current household head, and he's Innate too!"

"My eldest brother is a genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and he's entered Saber-Nurturing Valley! If you kill me, you'll be in serious trouble. It won't do you any good!"

"There's no great blood feud between us. Everything can be discussed. Please give me a chance to make amends!"

He knew full well that if he didn't speak quickly, he might be silenced for good the next moment.

A fear unlike any he had ever known welled up in his heart.

He had thought that on this trip, he would soon complete nine blood exchanges and try to comprehend martial Dao True Intention to break through to Innate.

How could he have imagined that such a terrifying existence was here on Peach Blossom Spring Lake?

"Lord... Lord Xu..."

Trembling, Zhao He tried to beg for mercy, but he couldn't even get a complete sentence out.

After dealing with Xu Fan for so long, he had never imagined that Xu Fan was an Innate grandmaster.

An Innate grandmaster who had cultivated for less than a year?

But the answer they received was a streak of golden light.

Splash.

Two more splashes rang out.

"Since you're already here, sleep here in Peach Blossom Spring Lake."