Chapter 39: Chapter 37: Treasure Fish

Chen Qing arrived at the River Department.

He happened to see Cheng Ming and immediately told him the news of his breakthrough to the Dark Force realm.

After a moment of stunned silence, Cheng Ming’s eyes lit up with a brilliant, surprised joy. He clapped Chen Qing hard on the shoulder. “Good! HAHAHA, good lad!”

He looked at the young man before him, who was growing more and more composed.

’How long has it been? This rate of progress is truly rare.’

“It hasn’t quite been a full year since you went from Manifest Force to Dark Force, has it?” Cheng Ming asked, counting on his fingers.

“Yes, there’s still a little time to go,” Chen Qing nodded.

“Incredible, just incredible!”

Cheng Ming praised him again and again, his face full of genuine delight. “With this kind of speed, you’d be considered an outstanding disciple even in a Martial Arts Hall.”

His expression then turned serious. “Ah Qing, now that you’re in the Dark Force realm, your sponsorship benefits will naturally increase. From now on, your monthly stipend will be raised to thirty catties of fine meat and Five Parts of Blood Qi Pills. If the Cheng Family’s situation improves, I’ll add even more.”

His voice faltered slightly, a hint of barely perceptible awkwardness in his tone. After all, the Cheng Family could hardly fend for itself at the moment.

“Don’t say that, Chief,”

Chen Qing said without hesitation, “Back when I first reached the Manifest Force realm, you were the only one who sponsored me. I’ve never forgotten that.”

Cheng Ming was touched by these simple words. His heart warmed, and he squeezed Chen Qing’s shoulder firmly. “Come, follow me.”

He led Chen Qing back to his own slightly messy private room.

Puzzled, Chen Qing slowly lifted the lid of a box.

A peculiar fish, only about the length of a palm, lay quietly among soft waterweeds. Its entire body was a pale gold, with a slight bump on its head. Under the candlelight, its fine scales shimmered with a gentle luster.

Its eyes were dark and bright, its gill covers twitched—it was still alive!

Chen Qing’s pupils contracted. “Could this be… a Treasure Fish!?”

Having grown up in Mute Bay where boats were his home, he naturally knew the secrets of the rivers and lakes.

In the depths of these waters, legends spoke of a wondrous creature called the ’Treasure Fish’.

The size of this fish was related to its age; the older it was, the larger it grew. Finding one was as rare as panning for gold in sand.

Because they were so difficult to catch, their value was astonishingly high.

A few years ago, an old fisherman from Mute Bay named Old Chu had a stroke of great luck and caught a Treasure Fish in his net. He was so happy he danced with joy.

The Steward at the fish market was a relatively decent man and gave him a full twenty taels of silver. At the time, this was considered a ’fair price’ after being ruthlessly haggled down.

Qian Biao heard about it from somewhere and used all sorts of tricks to lure Old Chu into a floating house.

After a crooked gambling match, the twenty taels of snowflake silver, soaked in Old Chu’s blood, sweat, and ecstatic joy, vanished into the pockets of Qian Biao and his vile cronies without a trace.

“That’s right. It’s a Treasure Fish, a Golden-Horned Carp.”

Cheng Ming lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming. “Ah Qing, you come from a fishing family, so you should know that these great rivers and marshes hold countless rare treasures. This fish is a wondrous item that can nourish the bones and consolidate one’s blood and qi.”

He took a deep breath and continued, “Of all the rare treasures in the world, Treasure Medicines and Treasure Fish are what martial artists covet most. The Blood and Qi Powder and Blood Qi Pills we use are just mixed with the powder of a one-year-old Treasure Medicine, the ’Moon Orchid Grass’.”

“And the older these Treasure Fish and Treasure Medicines are, the more astonishing their effects. Seven years ago, the Huang Family bought a ten-year-old Golden Scale for a Hundred Gold Coins!”

A Hundred Gold Coins!?

Chen Qing’s heart trembled.

That was an immense sum, not just for common folk, but even for a well-off household.

“I don’t know how the Huang Family consumed that Golden Scale.”

Cheng Ming said slowly, “The nourishing effects of Treasure Fish and Treasure Medicines are incredibly potent. Ordinary martial artists can hardly withstand them. There was once a mountain dweller who found a Treasure Medicine and swallowed it whole. His blood and qi swelled, and his Cultivation soared, reaching the Transmutation Force realm overnight. But he was dead the next day. The cause of death was that the medicine’s power was too strong, causing his blood and qi to surge uncontrollably and kill him by internal bleeding.”

“That’s why the best way to consume a Treasure Medicine is to refine it into a medicinal soup, an Elixir, or something similar.”

Chen Qing chimed in thoughtfully, “I’ve heard the old fishermen say that catching this kind of Treasure Fish is harder than ascending to heaven. They’re as slippery as satin in the water, so fast you can only see a shadow. And the deadliest part is, the waters where they appear are often stalked by ’Sea Eagles’… For every ten fishermen who encounter one, nine and a half don’t make it back.”

He paused, then asked, “Are the Treasure Medicines in the mountains just as difficult to obtain?”

“Sea Eagle” doesn’t refer to a specific type of fish. It’s the fishermen’s collective term for the massive, incredibly ferocious, and dangerous anomalies that lurk in the deep waters.

Their mountain-like shadows are every fisherman’s nightmare.

Chen Qing had long heard of their reputation but had never seen one himself.

“That’s right.”

Cheng Ming’s expression was grave. “Treasure Medicines are the same! Naturally grown Treasure Medicines are almost absurdly picky about their environment. The earth’s veins, the water source, the celestial timing—if any of these are even slightly off, they won’t grow. You might be able to painstakingly transplant a low-year one, but once they reach five years, they’re nearly impossible to cultivate artificially. They’re mostly hidden in deep, untrodden mountain forests or on inaccessible cliffs and in secluded valleys…”

“The older the Treasure Medicine, the more terrifying the dangers surrounding it. There are often fearsome ’Exotic Beasts’ guarding them, far more ferocious than ordinary tigers or leopards. The ’Sea Eagles’ you mentioned are exactly that kind of existence.”

“In the Prefecture City, some highly skilled ’Assassins’ sometimes risk venturing into the mountains to search for these medicines, gambling on finding a decades-old specimen. A single one would be enough to let them live in wealth and comfort. But unfortunately…”

Cheng Ming shook his head. “Nine times out of ten, these medicine-seekers leave their bones behind in some nameless, wild mountain.”

Hearing this, Chen Qing inwardly shook his head.

’It seems that while Treasure Fish and Treasure Medicines are good, they’re not so easy to obtain.’

Cheng Ming said slowly, “This is a one-and-a-half-year-old ’Golden-Horned Treasure Fish’. It can survive without water and is perfectly suited for those with Cultivation below the Transmutation Force realm. You should take it.”

Chen Qing hesitated. “Isn’t this too valuable?”

A ten-year-old Treasure Fish was worth a Hundred Gold Coins; a one-and-a-half-year-old one surely wouldn’t be cheap either.

“You’ve just stabilized your foundation in the Dark Force realm. Consuming this now will yield twice the results with half the effort!”

Cheng Ming said with a completely serious expression, “What others can offer, my Cheng Family will certainly not lack. From now on, you’ll receive a one-year-old ’Golden-Horned Treasure Fish’ every month.”

If Cheng Ming’s previous support for Chen Qing was considered partial assistance, this was now a full-fledged, all-out sponsorship.

The Five Great Races categorize their prospects into upper, middle, and lower tiers based on their talent.

A monthly ’Golden-Horned Treasure Fish’, plus meat and Blood Qi Pills—this level of support was no less than what the Five Great Races provided to their upper-tier prospects.

“Thank you.”

Chen Qing said, clasping his fist solemnly.

His master’s focus had always been on Qin Lie, so the resources he received were limited.

Cheng Ming, on the other hand, had undoubtedly become his main source of support.

“This year’s Martial Arts Examination won’t be easy.”

Cheng Ming said earnestly, “You started a bit late, so just do your best. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The road ahead is long!”

Chen Qing smiled. “I’ll give it a try. What if I succeed?”

“Good, that’s the spirit!”

Cheng Ming patted his shoulder, his expression relaxing a little. “Take this Treasure Fish back and stew it in a clean earthenware pot with fresh water. Remember to use a low flame. Once it’s simmered into a thick, paste-like soup and the bones are tender, divide it into three portions and consume one every other day.”

Chen Qing carefully put away the wooden box. “Understood.”

“The Martial Arts Examination is approaching. You don’t need to go on Patrol during this time. I’ll arrange for someone to cover for you so you can focus on your training.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Chief.”

Chen Qing said no more and excused himself.

As he reached the door, he paused for a moment. He looked back at Cheng Ming’s figure in the room and said in a low voice, “Chief, thanks.”

Cheng Ming was taken aback for a second, then chuckled and playfully cursed, “Get lost and go cook your fish soup.”

Chen Qing didn’t say anything else, turning and melting into the night as he headed home.

「Back in the Lianchuan District of Mute Bay, the water rippled gently.」

Chen Qing pushed open the creaking wooden door of the boat. In the dim light of an oil lamp, the hunched silhouette of Ms. Han was visible, her withered fingers kneading her sore shoulders and neck.

“Mom, is your old shoulder injury acting up again?”

Chen Qing hurried forward and began to knead Ms. Han’s thin shoulders with his palms.

“It’s nothing.”

Ms. Han shook her head wearily. “It’s an old injury. It’ll be fine after a little rubbing.”

“You shouldn’t weave those nets anymore. It’s too exhausting.”

Chen Qing said slowly, “In a little while, we’ll move off this boat and find a proper place to live.”

Ms. Han grew anxious at his words and grabbed Chen Qing’s wrist. “What’s wrong with living on a boat? It’s peaceful! A house outside, no matter how dilapidated, is a constant drain on money…”

Chen Qing squeezed Ms. Han’s hand back and said, “Mom, you don’t have to worry about this.”

Looking into Chen Qing’s determined eyes, Ms. Han ultimately said no more, only patting the back of his hand gently. “Alright, Mom will listen to you.”

After settling Ms. Han into bed, Chen Qing quietly began to busy himself by the small stove in the corner.

He carefully scraped the fine scales off the Golden-Horned Treasure Fish, revealing the delicate, pale-gold flesh underneath.

The fish wasn’t large, but it was unusually heavy.

He placed the cleaned fish into an earthenware pot and filled it with clear river water.

A small fire licked at the stove. Before long, a strange, indescribable fragrance began to fill the air, overpowering the usual smell of fish and dampness in the boat’s cabin.

The aroma was sweet, mellow, and rich. It seemed to seep through the skin and penetrate deep into the organs, causing one’s blood and qi to stir restlessly.

The soup in the pot quickly turned a creamy, thick white, like a divine nectar. Faint, slender golden threads swirled within it.

Chen Qing ladled out a small spoonful and took a sip.

An intensely hot current instantly erupted, sweeping through his entire body.

The blood and qi throughout his body surged and churned like boiling water.

“Worthy of being a Treasure Fish. Its effects are more than three times better than a Blood Qi Pill.”

A sharp glint appeared in Chen Qing’s eyes. With the current abundance of his blood and qi, practicing his Pile Skill tomorrow would be more than twice as effective—perhaps even three times.

One round of Cultivation would be equivalent to three rounds before.

Chen Qing thought to himself, ’If I had a steady supply of this fish, I might be able to attempt the three gate-breaking stages in less than a year.’

Of course, it was just a thought.

This Treasure Fish was incredibly expensive. Not even the direct descendants of the Five Great Races in Gaolin County enjoyed the luxury of consuming one every day.

WHOOSH—!

Chen Qing slowly exhaled a scorching breath.

The cabin fell silent, with only the sound of river waves gently lapping against the hull.

He walked to the edge of his bed, bent down, and pulled out a booklet, worn black with use, from the deepest corner beneath the bed planks. He opened it to a newly creased page.

His eyes were calm, betraying no emotion, as he picked up a brush and wrote down the name Qin Lie.

Above Qin Lie’s name was a list of several other names crossed out in red ink. The characters for ’Qian Biao’ and ’Song Tie’ were faintly visible.

…..

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep