Liang Qu was determined to take back his territory.
After consuming the Treasure Fish last time, Ze Spirit's fusion level had risen to a full 11.7, its control over the water current reaching nearly seventy catties, and its underwater activity time was extended once again.
What was most crucial was the change in perception radius; while the detailed perception range remained the same, the rough perception radius had expanded by one meter, reaching a full six meters, already the size of a rather large sphere.
Having practiced martial arts for half a month, he was no longer the frail little fisherman from before.
With the assistance of the Zhupo Dragon and the Fat Catfish, in the shallow water area, there was virtually no beast that could rival them.
He believed that the monster trying to seize the territory couldn't be too strong, otherwise, it wouldn't have just watched as the Fat Catfish took away several of the most precious lotus root pieces.
Today the river wind was somewhat strong; Liang Qu sank a stone tied with rope to prevent his sampan from drifting away, then took his wooden spear and pig bladder and entered the water. Under the guidance of the two beasts, they returned to the riverbed where the lotus roots were found.
The riverbed was very quiet.
The sunlight penetrated the water layer, scattering into fine, bright lines, providing a good field of vision.
The mud was littered with stones, and plants with unnameable names grew in the crevices, their slender filaments gently swaying with the current.
Unable to Move lay flat on the ground, moving forward cautiously, seemingly still very wary of that so-called big fellow, not even daring to brush off several strands of aquatic grass hanging from its head.
The Fat Catfish, lying beside it, slowly waggled its tail, reducing the flow of water as much as possible.
Many fish with sensitive perception could detect changes in the water flow; if they were to take bigger steps, they really might be discovered.
Liang Qu also slowed down his pace, trekking through the undulating mud, and after passing a huge rock, he saw the spread of lotus root pieces on the ground.
The two beasts sent out reminders through their psychic link.
They were very close.
Liang Qu crouched lower, crossing a slightly uneven patch of mud, when an irregular shape appeared in his field of view, still and abrupt like a protruding black rock. Visually, it was about a meter tall.
"What is that? A rock? Is that the monster?"
Liang Qu was certain that there hadn't been a rock like that in this area before; he looked to Unable to Move and the Fat Catfish, receiving affirmative confirmation.
It was a demon, but he couldn't make out what creature it really was—like a rock, completely lacking the elongated form of a fish, uncharacteristic of aquatic life.
It seemed to regard this area as its territory just as Unable to Move had initially done.
Could it be a crustacean?
A possibility suddenly occurred to Liang Qu.
Only crustacean creatures possessed such a strange shape, lying flat like a huge rock.
Gurgle gurgle.
A large number of bubbles emerged from a part of the "rock," proving that it was indeed some kind of crustacean creature.
What kind of crustacean could be so large—could it have become a spirit?
Liang Qu took a fright. Having been in this world for so long, he knew that demon beasts existed.
He had thought that perhaps the two beasts would be unable to handle a large crocodile four or five meters long, or something else; he never imagined it would be a sprite monster.
Yet, as he looked at the large area of the lotus root field that had been eaten away, he frowned deeply.
A hard-won Treasure Plant—how could he let it cheaply fall into the hands of a sprite?
All along, everything had been developing in a favorable direction, yet a sprite monster appeared out of nowhere and occupied his most precious resource.
Liang Qu gripped the long spear tightly.
How much Water Ze Essence would devouring a sprite contribute?
Ten or even dozens?
A thought suddenly occurred to him, which then shocked him with its audacity.
That was a sprite, not an ordinary water beast!
Perhaps it wasn't entirely impossible?
Liang Qu's thoughts kept leaping and branching out.
Crustaceans had many weaknesses as well, such as the soft spot beneath their carapace—a single spear thrust could be fatal.
Their exposed eyes were also easy to deal with; for a creature dependent on vision, without eyes, it could do nothing.
And it truly wasn't strong, otherwise, it wouldn't have just watched as the Fat Catfish took away the best slices of the lotus root.
The more he thought about it, the more restless he became, his hand clutching the spear constantly tightening and loosening.
He always remembered the words his college tutor had once said.
"To change your life, you must take risks. The most significant events often happen by chance, and it's the trivial matters that have comprehensive plans."
Adventure, a term that has always permeated human development.
Dangerous yet captivating.
He was not content!
He wanted to take back what was his!
Liang Qu clenched his fist, the water was squeezed out, bursting from between his fingers and scattering into white foam.
He had never been one to simply hand over what he had gained.
Zhang Tieniu had stolen his boat, so Zhang Tieniu died.
Since he had some certainty now, he was going to gamble, to bet on whether he or the sprite monsters had the greater skill!
...
Inside the Yang Family Martial Arts School, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang were sparring, trying out the techniques of the Three-Fist Technique.
Unlike Liang Qu, who had completed all of the Three-Fist Technique, Li Libo had only learned Ape Fist and Tiger Fist, and Chen Jiechang had only learned Tiger Fist. The two did not plan to dabble in the rest, but instead intended to focus on cultivating their Qi and Blood.
On one hand, Lu Shaohui did not teach with great care, and on the other hand, Liang Qu's learning speed was evident, causing the two of them to feel a sense of urgency. After all, mastering the remaining techniques would at most broaden their horizons, while what they would mainly practice were the Ape Fist and Tiger Fist that suited them best.
The two simply gave up, planning to use more time to improve themselves and see if they could break through within three months and then stay at the martial arts school.
If they could break through, it was almost equivalent to standing out from the crowd.
Perhaps, in Pingyang Town, a martial artist who had broken through only one barrier was nothing special and couldn't even get a tax reduction, but in Yixing City, it was already enough, and the quality of life could take a leap forward.
The simplest example was the issue of irrigating fields in the event of a dispute. What to do? People from both sides would surely think of finding someone to help. Who would they seek?
The farmers in Yixing City would naturally think of the local martial artist who had broken through. But could they ask for help without offering anything in return?
You'd have to bring a few bushels of rice, right?
As time passed, the more substantial one's reputation became; could the village head continue to sit idle without feeling ashamed?
Making one's fortune in a small place did not need to be overly complicated. Right now, both of them were fishmongers, but who could say what the future held?
Harboring hopes for a bright future, they trained against the clock.
"Hey, you two over there, you stink to high heaven. Could you move farther away?"
Li Libo and Chen Jiechang paused for a moment and then, after a brief hesitation, continued their work, but their movements were visibly weaker.
"Can't you hear? We're talking about you two, the fish sellers!"
"Seems like their hearing isn't too good either."
"Hahaha!"
On one side of the Martial Arts Performance Ground, three young men were lounging around, pointing and making remarks.
The others who saw this didn't stand up for them.
"You're too rude, Lu Tingcai," another person said coming over.
Hearing the voice, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang relaxed, exchanged a glance, and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Oh?" The youth called Lu Tingcai straightened his trouser legs, splayed his legs sitting on a stool, and shifted his position downward. He cocked his head to one side, "So, Xue Dingyi, you can't smell it?"
"That's true," the young man who had seemed to try to stop the taunting suddenly burst into a smile, "Well then, let them move farther away!"
Li Libo and Chen Jiechang were taken aback, their jaw muscles bulging with shame and a sense of inferiority as they were overwhelmed with emotion.
Every time they came to the Martial Arts Performance Ground, they chose the most secluded spot, carefully avoiding others, yet they had never been humiliated like this.
Without any quarrel or grievance, why...
"How about this,"
Lu Tingcai suddenly stood up and walked towards the two of them.
It was only then Li Libo and Chen Jiechang realized how alarmingly tall this person was, almost six and a half feet. They had to look up to meet his gaze!
Looking down on them with a stretch, Lu Tingcai grinned, showing his white teeth, "As tolerance for you to continue staying here, how about two taels of silver per person?"
Next to them, Lu Shaohui seemed to treat the scene before him as if it were thin air, focusing solely on lifting his stone locks.