Liang Qu wanted to reclaim his territory.
The last time he tasted the Treasure Fish, his Marsh Spirit Fusion Rate had increased to a solid 11.7, enabling him to control water with a force of nearly seventy pounds, while also extending the time he could stay underwater.
The most crucial change was in his sensing ability.
The detailed sensing range remained unchanged, but his rough sensing radius expanded by one meter, reaching a full six meters, forming a rather large spherical perception area.
After practicing martial arts for over half a month, he was no longer the frail little fisherman he once used to be.
Moreover, with the help of the Pig Dragon and Fat Catfish, he was nearly unmatched in the shallow waters.
He believed the creature that took over his territory wouldn't be too strong; otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed the Fat Catfish to take away the most valuable pieces of Lotus Root.
Today, the river breeze was a bit strong.
Liang Qu sank a stone with ropes to prevent his small fishing boat from drifting away, then took up a wooden spear and entered the water with a pig bladder float, led by the two beasts, returning to the underwater site where he had found the Lotus Root.
It was quiet underwater.
Sunlight pierced through the layers of water, scattering into fine, bright lines, offering a decent visual field.
The silt was strewn with random stones, and unnamed plants grew in the crevices, their slender ribbons gently swaying with the current.
The Immovable lay low on the ground, cautiously moving forward, still seemingly cautious of the big fellow, with strands of aquatic plants hanging from its head that it didn't dare to brush off.
Beside it, the Fat Catfish similarly stayed low, slowly swaying its tail to minimize water disturbance.
Many fish with keen senses could detect changes in water flow, and if one took too big a step, there was indeed a risk of being discovered.
Liang Qu also slowed his pace, trekking across the rolling mud.
After bypassing a huge boulder, he saw the Lotus Root spreading out from the ground.
The two beasts sent a reminder through their Spirit Link.
They were very close.
Liang Qu lowered his body and crossed another slightly uneven patch of muddy ground.
An irregular shape appeared in his sight, motionless and strangely looking like a black rock protruding from the ground, roughly over a meter tall.
“What is that? A rock? Is this the monster?”
Liang Qu was sure there hadn't been any such rock here originally.
He glanced at the Immovable and Fat Catfish, receiving a nod of confirmation.
Strange, he couldn’t tell what creature it was.
It looked just like a rock, with no elongated fish-like body, unlike any aquatic creature.
It seemed similar to the initial Immovable, treating this area as its territory.
Is it a crustacean?
Liang Qu suddenly thought of a possibility.
Only crustaceans could have such a peculiar shape, lying flat like a huge rock.
Bubbles rose in abundance from a part of the "rock," proving it was indeed a crustacean.
What kind of crustacean could be this big? Could it have turned into a spirit beast?
Liang Qu was startled.
Having been in this world for quite some time, he knew that there were indeed spirit beasts in this world.
He originally thought it might have been a large crocodile four or five meters long or something else that his beasts couldn’t handle, never thinking it would be a spirit beast.
Yet looking at the patch of Lotus Root devoured on the ground, his brow furrowed tightly.
It wasn’t easy finding such Treasured Plants; how could he let the spirit beast have them?
Everything was pointing toward an improving trend, only for a spirit beast to come and seize his most precious resource.
Liang Qu gripped his spear tightly.
If consuming a spirit beast could contribute enough Water Essence, how much would that be? Ten, or even dozens?
A bold thought suddenly emerged, and he was startled by his own idea.
That was a spirit beast, not an ordinary water beast!
But perhaps it wasn’t impossible?
Liang Qu’s mind darted with possibilities.
Crustaceans have many vulnerabilities, like the area under the abdomen, which could be slain with a single spear.
And its exposed eyes were easy to deal with.
A visual creature would be helpless without its eyes.
And it indeed wasn’t very strong; otherwise, it wouldn’t have just watched the Fat Catfish take the best pieces of Lotus Root.
The more he thought, the more unsettled he became, his grip on the spear fluctuating with tension.
He had always remembered a saying from his college mentor:
"Life’s transformative moments require risk; most significant events happen by chance. Only things of little importance have meticulous plans."
Risk is a word that echoes through human progress.
Dangerous yet alluring.
He was unwilling to concede!
He wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his!
Liang Qu clenched his fist, squeezing the water so hard it burst, spreading out as white foam through his fingers.
He was never one to hand over what was within his grasp.
Zhang Tieniu took his boat, so Zhang Tieniu died.
Since he had a degree of confidence now, he decided to take a gamble—gamble on whether he or the spirit beast possessed greater prowess!
In the Yang Clan Martial Hall, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang were sparring, trying out techniques from the Three Fist Techniques.
Unlike Liang Qu who learned all three techniques, Li Libo only learned Ape Fist and Tiger Fist, while Chen Jiechang learned only the Tiger Fist.
The two didn’t plan on exploring further and instead decided to concentrate on developing their internal energy.
On one hand, Lu Shaohui was uninterested in teaching; on the other hand, Liang Qu's rapid pace of learning presented some pressure, making the two a bit anxious.
Anyway, learning the remaining two fists would only broaden their horizons, and in the end, the most suitable ones for practice were still Ape Fist and Tiger Fist.
The two simply abandoned the idea of diversification, planning to use more time to improve themselves, hoping to break through the first barrier within three months and remain in the Martial Hall.
Breaking through the barrier could mean significant advancement in their town.
While a single-barrier Martial Artist might mean little in Peaceful Sun Town, incapable of even reducing taxes, in Righteous Prosperity City, it was more than enough, offering them a better quality of life.
The simplest matter involved disputes over watering farmland.
Who would people turn to for help?
Farmers in Righteous Prosperity City would naturally recall a Martial Artist in the village who had broken through a barrier, but would they help for free?
Of course, you’d have to show your gratitude, maybe with a few bushels of rice?
In time, when prestige grows, would the Village Chief just idle in his position, doing nothing?
Rising in small places didn’t require complexity.
The two were still fish sellers, and the future was uncertain.
With dreams of a better future, they seized every moment to train.
"Hey, over there, you two reek of fish, could you roll off a bit?"
Li Libo and Chen Jiechang paused upon hearing, shortly continuing their practice, albeit visibly "weaker."
"Can’t you hear me? It’s you two! Fish sellers!"
“Seems their ears don’t work either.”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
On one side of the Martial Training Grounds, three young men were squatting and pointing fingers.
No one else stood up for them.
"Your words are too harsh, Lu Tingcai," another voice joined in.
Upon hearing the new voice, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang felt relieved, exchanging a glance and releasing a sigh of relief.
“Oh?” The young man addressed as Lu Tingcai pulled up his trouser legs, relaxing into his seat, bending down, tilting his head, “But, Xue Dingyi, can’t you smell it?”
“Indeed,” the apparently discouraging youth suddenly grinned, “so, let’s just have them scoot further away!”
Li Libo and Chen Jiechang were dumbstruck, their jaw muscles tightening, a mix of shame and resentment flooding their hearts.
Every time they visited the training grounds, they would choose a far corner, carefully avoiding others, yet they had never been humiliated like this.
Clearly, they bore no grudge, so why…
"How about this?"
Suddenly, Lu Tingcai stood up and strode towards them.
Li Libo and Chen Jiechang realized how tall he was when approached, nearly six and a half feet, making them look up to him!
Lu Tingcai towered above them, baring his white teeth in a broad grin, “To tolerate you staying here, how about two ounces of silver each?”
Beside him, Lu Shaohui seemed to treat the scene as mere air, lifting stone locks by himself.
(End of Chapter)