On the pleasure boat, two young men sat comfortably drinking tea, seemingly unaware of the commotion outside.
Beside them sat a young woman in a green dress, her eyes bright and lively. She stood up to look outside, but the young men didn't move, so she could only sit back down, occasionally glancing out.
"Brother Dongfang, I didn't expect we'd encounter the Fish King on this trip to Fu City," one of the young men said, noticing the girl's eagerness.
"I was wondering how to entertain you, but now with this Fish King, I can properly fulfill my role as host. Let's go see what's so special about this Fish King. Cousin Xiang'er is getting impatient."
Though his expression remained calm, he was excited inside. The man across from him was Dongfang Mu, the third young master of the Dongfang family, one of the imperial clans in the Western Liang Empire's capital. Qin Hao needed to curry favor with him.
As for the girl in the green dress, Xiao Xiang'er, she was Dongfang Yun's cousin. Qin Hao knew nothing else about her.
When Qin Hao called her "Cousin Xiang'er," a flash of displeasure crossed Xiang'er's eyes, but she quickly hid it. In her view, Qin Hao wasn't worthy of using that term of address.
"Brother Qin, I'm afraid many people will be fighting over this Fish King," Dongfang Mu said softly, glancing at the approaching boats through the window.
"Haha, Brother Dongfang, you can rest assured. My Qin family has some influence in the Northwest Prefecture. I think they'll give me face. Besides, it was our boatmen who caught it, so it should rightfully be ours to enjoy," Qin Hao said confidently.
"Alright then, let's go take a look," Dongfang Mu stood up, smiling slightly at the eager Xiao Xiang'er beside him.
The three walked out of the cabin onto the deck.
By now, the Fish King had been hauled onto the deck, with two boatmen holding it down to keep it from thrashing about.
"I've never seen such a large freshwater fish before!" Xiang'er exclaimed in surprise.
"Indeed, it's my first time seeing one this big too," Dongfang Mu agreed, also amazed.
Just then, Fatty Gu and Su Hao boarded the boat.
"Haha, Hao bro, this fish is huge! I'll buy it today to help you recover," Fatty Gu laughed upon seeing the Fish King.
The other boatmen on deck immediately bowed and greeted them: "Young Master Su, Young Master Gu!"
"Well done, Uncle Li. Send this fish to our boat," Gu Huai ordered directly.
"Hey, fatso, what are you talking about? We caught this on our boat. Why should we send it to yours?" Xiang'er said angrily.
"Why send it to our boat? Because we'll pay more," Fatty Gu replied curiously, implying that if she had money, she could bid too.
"You!" Xiang'er's face changed. She hadn't brought much money and looked to Qin Hao for help. It was time for him to live up to his earlier confidence.
"Brother, I'm Qin Hao of the Qin family from the Northwest Prefecture," Qin Hao stepped forward, introducing himself.
"The Qin family of the Northwest Prefecture? Are you trying to use your family name to pressure us? Don't tell me you don't have money," Gu Huai said, feigning surprise.
"What's with that look, kid?" Qin Hao felt frustrated by Gu Huai's expression.
"What's wrong with my look? Don't you need money to buy things? Whoever pays more gets the Fish King!" Gu Huai said coldly.
Su Hao remained silent, determined to get the Fish King no matter who tried to compete.
"Fine, I'll pay 500 taels. The fish is ours," Qin Hao said, his face pale as he took out a 500-tael silver note to hand to Uncle Li.
Though the Fish King was large, it was still just a fish. 500 taels should be enough to buy it, more than some boatmen might earn in a lifetime.
"1,000 taels," Gu Huai said softly.
"1,000 taels?" Qin Hao frowned, glaring at Gu Huai, who seemed not to notice as he searched for bank notes.
"2,000 taels," Qin Hao said, his face turning cold.
"5,000 taels!" Gu Huai raised the price dramatically, as if not wanting to continue the bidding game.
"You... This is too much!" Qin Hao nearly spat blood. They hadn't brought servants when boarding, so he only had 2,000 taels on him.
"Now can we take it away? Don't act high and mighty if you don't have money," Gu Huai said. "Uncle Li, move the Fish King to our boat."
"Wait, Su Hao, surely you'll give me, Qin Hao, some face?" Qin Hao suddenly turned to Su Hao, assuming Gu Huai was acting on Su Hao's instructions.
"Young Master Qin, we've already bought this Fish King, so I'm afraid I can't give you face," Su Hao replied.
"Give you face? I need what's in this Fish King's belly to open the system shop. Anyone who tries to compete is my enemy," Su Hao thought to himself.
"Su Hao, you'd better think this through!" Qin Hao's face showed anger, his words carrying a hint of threat.
Ignoring Qin Hao's anger, Su Hao turned to Dongfang Mu and Xiao Xiang'er, "If you two have time, you're welcome to join us on our boat to enjoy this Fish King."
"You're inviting us? But we don't know you," Xiang'er said, her eyes wide.
"Why must we have met before to meet now? The Fish King is too big for us to enjoy alone, so anyone interested is welcome to join us on our boat to share it," Su Hao said with a smile.
He mainly extended the invitation because he sensed pressure from Dongfang Mu. Although Su Hao was at the 7th level of the Human Realm, even a 1st level Earth Realm cultivator would be no match for him. The fact that this person gave him pressure indicated extraordinary strength. Combined with his aura and how Qin Hao was trying to curry favor, it was clear the man came from an extraordinary background. It was best not to make an enemy of him.
As the saying goes, "The hand that receives is always beneath the hand that gives." By inviting them to eat, Su Hao hoped to prevent any future trouble for himself or the Su family over this matter.
Su Hao's main goal wasn't to eat the Fish King but to obtain the spirit stone fragment in its belly. Inviting everyone to enjoy it together would help him gain goodwill and fit his playboy image better.
"Well said, 'Why must we have met before to meet now?' We'll take you up on your offer. I'm Dongfang Mu, and this is my cousin, Xiao Xiang'er," Dongfang Mu said approvingly, following Su Hao onto their boat.
Qin Hao was left behind, frustrated and angry. He shot a venomous glare at Su Hao but quickly concealed it before also boarding Su Hao's boat.