"What... what is that!"
Paimon stared in disbelief as the Red Fish was snatched away, unable to help but shout.
"Let's go catch it!" Lumine wiped the river water off her snow-white chest and a hint of anger crossed her face.
"Wait, if I'm not mistaken, that's the Akai Maou, known as a river monster. It's extremely fierce. Trying to catch it would put us in danger!" Sun Yu quickly reminded Ying and the others, sensing their unfamiliarity with this river creature.
"Hehehe, don't worry. Both Lumine and Nolan are strong fighters. A mere big fish is nothing!" Paimon said, hands on her hips, floating in mid-air.
"Yeah, my archery skills are excellent. As long as it's within my range, it won't get away," Nolan nodded. He had seen that the catfish was at level thirty-three. It truly lived up to its reputation as a monster, astonishing him.
"Using archery is indeed much safer," Sun Yu said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
Attacking with a bow from the shore was certainly safer than fighting in the water. He had thought it dangerous from his own perspective but realized these new friends were much stronger.
Maybe they were even on par with Xingqiu, the most outstanding disciple of the Guhua Clan. If he could invite them to join the Guhua Clan, the goal of revitalization might not be far off!
Seeing Sun Yu deep in thought, Nolan found it a bit strange but didn't dwell on it. He quickly chased after the big catfish along the riverbank.
If he didn't catch up, it would get away!
The Red Darkscale Catfish swam quickly in the river, but Nolan's running speed was also impressive. He easily caught up, feeling the wind pressure from breaking through the air.
He took out an arrow and nocked it on his bowstring, eyeing the dark figure in the river. For someone with his superb archery skills, shooting while running was a piece of cake.
Intense fire element gathered at the arrowhead. Given the catfish was covered in water element, a vaporizing reaction should be enough to take it down.
Normally, a fire element arrow wouldn't be able to penetrate the river and hit the catfish. The water would quickly extinguish the fire element.
But for Nolan, who could make arrows ignore part of the spatial distance and hit the target directly, this wasn't an issue.
The arrow shot out, instantly appearing above the dark figure in the river and piercing its head. The searing fire element burned in its brain. The Red Darkscale Catfish first felt excruciating pain, but the next second, the pain evaporated into nothingness.
And it lost consciousness.
Nolan watched as the enormous catfish floated to the surface of the river, then he put away his bow.
He approached the shore and poked the fish with his "Moonlight Greatsword." When it didn't react, he rolled it over to reveal its pale, unmarked belly.
At the same time, his character panel popped up, indicating the experience points he had earned.
[Defeated A Powerful Enemy, Obtained 323 Adventure EXP.]
Wow, it seems this fish is almost as strong as a large slime, he thought. If a river monster has this kind of power, what would the endless ocean hold?
Nolan's mind wandered with possibilities.
As the Akai Maou floated toward the campfire by the shore, everyone helped pull it out of the water. He realized it was at least two meters long. His arrow had struck it right in the head.
"Wow, what a big fish!" Paimon exclaimed excitedly, waving her arms in the air, her eyes shining brightly.
The bright midday sun shone down on Lumine's golden hair, casting a delicate shadow on her fair face, hinting at the surprise in her eyes.
"Can we eat this kind of fish?" Nolan asked Sun Yu.
Regular catfish were edible, but it was best to ask someone knowledgeable about this peculiar monster fish.
"Not yet," Sun Yu shook his head.
"What do you mean, not yet?" Paimon asked, scratching her head in confusion.
"Hmph, this kind of monster fish has poison in its stomach, head, and skin. It needs to be properly processed before it's safe to eat," Little Que'er answered for her senior brother.
"I see," Nolan nodded.
Now that they knew, it was much easier to handle.
Nolan used his greatsword to decapitate and gut the fish, slicing it open with ease. He skinned it and buried the poisonous parts in a pit nearby.
With everyone's effort, they cut the fish into even pieces. They grilled and roasted the meat, adding spices for a delicious lunch.
It was a warm, pleasant afternoon.
The leftover fish had to be discarded since both Nolan and Lumine's inventory spaces were already filled with other supplies, and Sun Yu and his sister couldn't carry it either.
It would spoil if kept too long.
"Brother Nolan, where are you heading next?" Sun Yu asked, as if making a decision.
"Of course, we're heading to Liyue Harbor. Is there something you need?"
Paimon interjected before Nolan could respond. He gave her a look of exasperation: Was she trying to be his spokesperson?
"Oh, it's nothing major. Have you heard of our sect, the 'Guhua Clan'?" Sun Yu asked with a smile.
"Only by name," Lumine said delicately, resting her fair wrist against her cheek and elbow on her knee. In truth, she hadn't heard of it at all.
"That's understandable. The 'Guhua Clan' has fallen into decline," Sun Yu said with a bitter smile.
He continued, "My junior sister and I ventured out to seek immortals and revive our sect, much like the 'Five Blade Sect.'
"Although finding an immortal is difficult, we don't want to give up. That's why we intended to ask the 'Five Blade Sect' if they had any leads.
"We were fortunate to meet you along the way, so I was wondering if we could invite you to join our 'Guhua Clan.' With your support, even if we can't find an immortal, we would be much closer to reviving our sect!"
He stood up and clasped his fists in a respectful gesture.
"..."
Nolan and the others fell silent, surprised by Sun Yu's invitation.
They hadn't expected Sun Yu to invite them to join the 'Guhua Sect.'
And it's such a coincidence—I'm is also seeking immortals in Liyue to learn their arts... Nolan thought silently.
"Hehehe. what benefits do we get if we join your 'Guhua Clan'?" Paimon asked, rubbing her hands together with a grin.
"Uh, well, there aren't any real benefits at the moment," Sun Yu admitted with a wry smile.
The only thing their clan had to offer was the 'Guhua Sword Technique,' and he doubted they would be interested in that.
He had expected this response and had only asked on a hopeful whim.
He continued, "Haha, since that's the case, let's forget about it. If you encounter any difficulties in Liyue Harbor, you can seek out my junior brother, Xingqiu, the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
"I'll write a letter of introduction for you. If you encounter any trouble in Liyue Harbor, you can seek him out. I'm sure Xingqiu will assist you out of respect for me."
Though Sun Yu hadn't succeeded in recruiting them to the 'Guhua Clan,' it was still worthwhile to make friends and build goodwill in the martial world.
(End of Chapter)
❇❇❇
Support me on Patreon - Read Up to 20+ Advanced Chapters There!
patreon.com/RedX43
❇❇❇