Back at the wharf, Liang Qu paid two copper coins for the mooring fee and sold all his catch to the fish stall, earning eighteen copper coins.
The fish stall was essentially a lending organization, except it loaned out fishing boats and fishing gear and collected fish catches as interest. In addition to renting out fishing gear, it also took on part of the fishmongers' responsibilities, like a distributor.
For fishermen who didn't rent their fishing gear, the prices were quite reasonable, saving them considerable time cost.
By now it was midnight, yet some shops remained open on the streets. After all, businesses don't look at the clock but at the crowd, and as long as fishermen sailed out, there would be trade.
Liang Qu's stomach was empty, so he stopped by a diner and ordered the usual three dishes, a meat, a vegetable, and rice.
At home, there was neither oil, salt, nor firewood, and cooking required buying a whole host of ingredients; it was better to eat out. They were all poor and earning just enough to get by. A meal cost precisely eighteen copper coins.
Saving money could wait; the priority was to build up his strength.
Unable to Move moved slowly, but its intimidation was there, playing a role in blocking the path and acting as a helper for fishing.
The next morning, Liang Qu saw Li Libo selling fish on a street stall.
"Hey, looking quite lively today, aren't you? How about a fish head soup to replenish yourself?" Li Libo gripped the gills and lifted a big silver carp.
"Okay."
Li Libo was taken aback. He had just made a casual remark and didn't expect to actually land a sale: "Well, that's great. What's the happy occasion? Share it, and let's have a laugh."
"Afraid you'd be scared if I told you. Just this one."
Liang Qu didn't elaborate, and as an insider, even if Li Libo guessed the truth, he couldn't share it without evidence.
"Wow, feeling generous?" said Li Libo, as he threaded the fish with a straw rope. "There you go, your fish."
Liang Qu handed over ten copper coins.
"That's too much!"
"The extra is for your drink."
"Hah, got more money than places to spend it?" Li Libo wondered to himself, yet his hands quickly pocketed the copper coins with delight.
For several days straight, Liang Qu stuck to the normal fisherman's routine, going out to fish and earning about thirty copper coins a day for his catch.
The steward from Zhao Manor, Zheng Xiang, hadn't come to find him again, which gave him a bit of relief.
Scabby Zhang's disappearance hadn't caused the slightest ripple; he was a bachelor with no one to care about him unless he caused trouble.
Perhaps only when the tax collection at the end of autumn approached would someone notice, and that was at least a month away.
As for Li Libo, he had long forgotten the matter, still thinking Scabby Zhang was just hiding somewhere, nursing his wounds.
"I can be at peace for a while."
Having been anxious for several days, Liang Qu could finally let down his guard and focus solely on earning a living.
Apart from having a meal at the diner daily to nourish his body, his other sustenance came entirely from the Treasure Plant lotus roots. He had eaten over ten segments and gained a total of 1.3 Water Ze Essence, which he used to increase his fusion rate.
Though Treasure Plants that could heal injuries might be rare, Liang Qu cared more about the present. The stronger he became, the less he would get hurt.
[Cauldron Master: Liang Qu]
[Refining Ze Spirit: Water Monkey (White) (Fusion Rate: 6.5%)]
[Water Ze Essence: None]
[River's Favor Rate: None]
[Water Beast Command: Taihua Crocodile]
[Evaluation: The Water Monkey Ze Spirit, born of the great Lord Huaiwo, can inspire the lesser and frail among us.]
It took about an hour to increase the fusion rate from consuming Water Ze Essence to completing the fusion increase.
With 1.5 Water Ze Essence, Liang Qu's fusion rate had increased to 6.5%, allowing him to control a forty-pound flow of water, stay underwater for more than ten minutes, with his perceptive range unchanged, and his physical condition slightly improved.
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Absorbing the Water Ze Essence does not affect the original effects of the lotus root.
Having eaten so much lotus root, and with his youth, the deficits caused by long-term hunger were replenished, and Liang Qu could feel his vitality constantly being restored.
"I can command another Water Beast to help catch fish now."
Liang Qu could sense his own limit of endurance, which was between two and three "Unable to Move"; to be safe, he could still control one more Water Beast of approximately the same level.
In the cold autumn water, the Zhupo Dragon moved sluggishly, barely managing to catch fish. If it weren't driven by Liang Qu, it would have already gone into hibernation and slept until the spring.
Now, the man and beast working together, without selecting some of the more valuable fish species, could only catch fish worth about thirty copper coins a day. It wasn't that he didn't want to catch more valuable ones; he was worried that doing so continuously might be noticed.
If he was to catch any, it would have to be the Tiger Head Spotted Fish that were measured by the silver unit.
Rowing the boat near the Lotus Root Waters, Liang Qu slapped the water with his oar.
Summoned by the call, the Zhupo Dragon appeared beside the boat, topping its head with a few water plants and scratching its waist with its hind claws while blinking its eyelids.
Liang Qu shed his clothes, took up a wooden spear, and dived into the water.
"Unable to Move" swayed its long tail, moving about beside him, with water plants drifting away atop its head with the current, exploring the surroundings together.
Light in the water was weak, and the riverbed and water plants were still visible in the Shallow Water Area. Further down, the view turned pitch black, and exploration of the environment relied mainly on perception.
Common fish swam by his side, but Liang Qu remained unmoved; his goal for the day was to find a good helper.
He paid attention to the direction he was moving in to avoid entering the deep water.
In the Shallow Water Area, large Water Beasts occasionally appeared, but they did not exceed four meters in length, so safety was guaranteed. The deep water was different, with old fishermen saying that all sorts of monsters resided there.
After searching with the Zhupo Dragon for a little over an hour, Liang Qu found nothing. It wasn't that there were no large fish, but none were ferocious carnivorous species.
He was not discouraged, thinking that fishermen would sit by a pond with a stool and a rod all day long—this was nothing.
On his next dive, as he brushed past a grass carp, a vague and huge shadow suddenly swept by Liang Qu's perceptual field and disappeared, along with the grass carp!
That was fast!
Liang Qu was startled, gripped his spear tightly, and quickly summoned "Unable to Move" to protect him.
The shadow he had sensed fleetingly was at least two meters long—a real whopper!
"Unable to Move" rapidly swished its tail to Liang Qu's side, constantly circling to avoid any sudden attacks.
Liang Qu initially thought it was a chance encounter, but the shadow made a turn and reappeared within his perceptual field, starting to circle around again.
Skirting the edge of the perceptual field, and a few times coming within three meters, Liang Qu finally identified the creature—it was a Six-Whisker Catfish!
A two-meter-long Six-Whisker Catfish was not common. This fish was aggressive, creating a vortex by moving its pectoral fins to disorient its prey before opening its gargantuan mouth like a vacuum cleaner to suck in the prey and swallow it whole.
It was said in Yixing City that a child who fell into the water was eaten by a Six-Whisker Catfish!
Without a doubt, this Six-Whisker Catfish considered Liang Qu as prey!
This fish was indeed brave; at two meters long, nearly fifty kilograms, it dared to attack a man and a crocodile together!
Trying to slide tackle me, huh? Just offering yourself up?
The catfish met all the requirements perfectly; it was decided, then, you're the one.
With a splash, the catfish rolled near the surface of the river, and Liang Qu immediately had "Unable to Move" charge. The crocodile was slow to move, but quick to attack, like a dagger to the heart, stopping the circling Six-Whisker Catfish in a moment.
The catfish turned to dodge, "Unable to Move" shook its body to follow, and in the instant they brushed past each other, its iron tail swung down like a sledgehammer on the catfish's head.
The head of the Six-Whisker Catfish was struck, bleeding. Its attempt to ram into the soft belly of the Zhupo Dragon was futile. The Zhupo Dragon took the opportunity to hook its claws into the catfish's fin.
Liang Qu held his breath beside them, his pupils trembling slightly as he stared intently at the situation. In the moment the catfish struggled to toss about, the water flow suddenly restricted its tail fin—this was a masterfully timed interception!
The Six-Whisker Catfish lost its balance, and the Zhupo Dragon took the chance to tear and bite at its tail!
The catfish struggled fiercely to get away from the Zhupo Dragon. Liang Qu held a stone in his hand and cut his finger, the fresh blood diffusing into the water in streaks. He kicked against the current and leaped to the back of the catfish, his black hair spreading like ink smoke, his three fingers, side by side in a cutting line, drew down the Water Talisman!
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