"Where did you get this?"
"From the bottom of the water? It was just floating there? You saw it glowing and brought it back?"
Liang Qu had taught the two beasts how to identify treasure fish—by looking for anything unusual in color or shape compared to ordinary fish.
These words had been deeply ingrained in their minds.
When they saw the glowing feather, they knew it wasn’t a fish, but they still thought it was something valuable, so they brought it back.
And they weren’t wrong.
The feather was huge, about three feet long and one foot wide.
Liang Qu tried to touch it, but the intense heat radiating from the feather forced him to pull back.
Damn, it’s so hot! No wonder "The Immovable" and Fatty Catfish didn’t dare to carry it back in their mouths.
It’s like handling hot potatoes.
A massive feather with incredible heat.
Liang Qu immediately thought of the blazing giant bird that had flown in the sky during the battle between the two great demons last night.
Without a doubt, this feather had fallen from its body, drifted with the current, and been discovered by the two beasts.
Good job, Brother Toad.
You killed a great demon, and now I get to enjoy some of the spoils.
Liang Qu used his water manipulation ability to wrap the feather in a current, dispersing the heat.
Only then could he attempt to touch it.
The base of the feather was as hard as iron, with a cold, metallic sheen that glowed faintly in the dark.
The feather itself was soft to the touch, but without the cooling effect of the water, it was too hot to handle.
What use is a single feather? Birds and beasts don’t have water essence to extract, and using it as a heating pad would risk setting your clothes on fire.
Liang Qu fell into deep thought, unsure of how to make use of it.
But no matter what, anything from a great demon had to be valuable.
He decided to take it back and show it to his master and senior brothers.
They might know what to do with it.
Liang Qu didn’t hold back his praise.
"Good job! From now on, if you see anything unusual, even if it’s not a fish, bring it back."
The two beasts, delighted by the praise, began spinning around in the water, stirring up strong currents.
After a while, Liang Qu surfaced and, seeing that it was getting late, instructed "The Immovable" to guard the lotus roots while Fatty Catfish was to explore the nearby waters, especially the shallow areas, for any sunken ships, human artifacts, treasures, or more feathers.
If they could find a part of that great demon’s body, that would be even better.
Liang Qu was curious about how much water essence a part of such a great demon’s body might contain.
He wanted them to explore not just the waters near Righteous Prosperity City but also those near Cloud River Dock and Peaceful Sun Town.
Fatty Catfish was now large enough that, as long as it didn’t venture into deep waters, it wouldn’t face much danger.
Dragging the feather back to the small fishing boat, Liang Qu checked the waterproof compartment.
Aside from the usual fish, there were two carp, a yellowfish, and a tigerfish—all good catches.
By the time he returned to the dock, it was already bright out.
Liang Qu sold his catch to Lin Songbao.
"Not much today, huh? Just two baskets?" Lin Songbao helped move the fish baskets to the market, but when he opened them, he was shocked.
"Wow, so many good fish! A yellowfish, two carp, and a tigerfish? Did you stumble upon a fish nest?"
"Just got lucky today."
"Impressive. Most people catch less in winter, but you’re catching more."
Lin Songbao gave a thumbs-up.
"Let’s call it three hundred and forty-six coins. I’ll give you three silver coins, okay?"
Lin Songbao wasn’t stupid.
Though his father hadn’t said anything, he knew something extraordinary must have happened to Liang Qu.
He offered a better deal than usual—three silver coins, which would normally be worth three hundred and sixty copper coins.
"Thanks!"
"No problem. Since you’re here, I’ll save myself the trip. The restaurant’s already booked. Tonight, at the Wandering Cloud Tavern, Earth Room C. My dad wanted to know if you need a carriage to pick you up."
Liang Qu planned to show the feather to his senior brothers, so he shook his head.
"No need. I’ll be heading to town today anyway."
"Alright. Here’s your money."
After receiving the money, Liang Qu returned to his boat.
He soaked a hemp cloth in cold water, wrapped the feather in it, and headed home.
As he passed the fish market, he overheard a conversation.
"Songbao, can you weigh this again? I think it’s wrong. Look how big this fish is!"
"Uncle Chen, we already weighed it. It’s fifty-three coins. After deducting the 45% for the boat rental, it’s thirty coins."
"That’s too little. Songbao, can’t you give me a bit more? My son’s only eight, still growing. You’ve seen him—he’s so small, and he calls you ‘big brother.’"
"Sorry, Uncle Chen. Last time I gave you five extra coins, and my dad scolded me. You know how it is. Over at Cloud River Dock, they take 52%."
"Ah..."
As Liang Qu walked down Bluestone Street, he clenched the cold, damp cloth in his hand until it grew warm.
He slowly made his way home.
The weather was getting colder, and the water temperature was dropping drastically.
Hands would turn purple after just a short time in the water.
When it’s too cold, fish slow their metabolism, reducing their need for food.
They also gather in deeper waters where it’s warmer.
They don’t move much, and they stay deep, making it hard for fishermen to catch them.
Even if they do catch something, the fish are often thin and small because the slow water flow and low oxygen levels mean less food is available.
The bluestone slabs on the street seemed less vibrant than they had two months ago.
In winter, it was as if all color and life had frozen and retreated.
The Yellow Clay Alley beside the street was filled with more women than in autumn, their faces pale and sallow, wrapped in old, yellowed coats.
They sat huddled on the steps, looking up whenever they heard footsteps on the stone road.
Liang Qu saw a girl about his age sitting on the steps, smiling at him.
Her face was thin and yellow from malnutrition, her hair dry and brittle like wild grass.
She wasn’t pretty.
He lowered his head and walked past without expression.
Besides the women in old coats, there were also many children in the alley.
They gathered around, burning whatever dry wood they could find.
The older ones, around thirteen or fourteen, looked troubled, while the younger ones, only five or six, had long, runny noses.
They played finger games together.
There were also old women begging on the street.
"Phew..."
Liang Qu exhaled a thick cloud of mist and stood still for a long time.
"Damn it!"
"Hey!"
Liang Qu called out, placed an oil-paper package on the ground, and walked away.
"What’s this?" A boy ran over, opened the package, and shouted, "Wow, buns! Hot buns! There are more than ten!"
"Yay, hot buns!"
"Don’t grab! There’s enough for everyone!"
"Let me divide them. You’re the youngest, Ah Di. You get two."
A few alleys away, Liang Qu left more oil-paper packages and quickly walked off.
This is so damn annoying.
Two silver coins gone.
Liang Qu suddenly felt angry—angry at nothing in particular, with no clear reason or target.
Maybe he was angry at his own excessive kindness, or at the messed-up world, or at the sight of those pitiful people wandering in front of him.
It felt like fire was flowing through his veins.
The world around him was cold, but he was burning up like a piece of charcoal.
After taking a few deep breaths, Liang Qu finally calmed down.
Back home, he tossed the feather, still wrapped in the now nearly dry hemp cloth, into a frozen water vat.
Soon, the ice melted, and the cloth and feather sank into the water.
Liang Qu assumed his stance and began his skin-tempering practice.
The day of his breakthrough was drawing near—it was almost within reach.
Everything Liang Qu had now could be considered a form of "riding on someone else’s coattails."
But once he became a true martial artist, he would undergo a transformation on his own, equivalent to an ordinary person becoming a scholar.
As his blood energy circulated, it spread through his limbs and flowed toward the outermost layer of his skin.
After a while, his reddened skin gradually returned to its normal, healthy color.
Liang Qu could feel his body becoming slightly tougher.
Though it didn’t feel different to the touch, if he were attacked, there would be a profound change—his skin would become incredibly resilient.
The progress in his strength lifted his mood significantly.
He picked up the pastries he had bought earlier and headed to Chen Qingjiang’s house next door.
He was two days late, but fortunately, the pastries were mostly peach shortbread, which didn’t spoil easily in winter.
They looked almost the same as when he had bought them.
He knocked on the courtyard gate.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me!"
"Sounds like Ah Shui. I’ll go check."
"Is it Ah Shui? Qingjiang, you should thank him properly."
"I know, Dad."
Voices came from inside the house.
A small head suddenly popped up over the low wall.
"Oh, it’s Brother Shui!"
Liang Qu waved the wooden box in his hand.
"Shunzi, open the gate for me. I’ve got something tasty for you."
"Coming!"
Little Shunzi jumped off the stool and ran to the gate, eagerly opening it.
Liang Qu smiled, opened the box, and handed Shunzi a piece of peach shortbread.
"Mmm, so sweet!"
Shunzi stuffed his mouth full, holding the crumbs in his other hand, his face filled with amazement.
Chen Qingjiang had just reached the gate and was shocked to see the Five Fragrance Pavilion logo.
"Ah Shui, why are you giving Shunzi such expensive food? What a waste!"
(End of Chapter)