Chapter 32 - 31: Senior Fisherman and Farmer

Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Senior Fisherman and Farmer

Stepping out of the Yuelai Inn, Chen Jianghe returned to his fishing boat. Having just consumed a Qi Nourishing Pill, he wasn’t in desperate need of Spirit Stones. Furthermore, he was about to enter the Inner Waters, where his salary would likely be even higher next year. Therefore, he didn’t accept the five Spirit Stones Yu Daniu offered as a gift, taking only the one that Yu Daniu actually owed him.

"I only have one Spirit Stone and fifteen grains of Spiritual Sand left," he murmured to himself.

After the Yun family collected his fish, he had possessed one Spirit Stone and 124 grains of Spiritual Sand. Buying a Qi Nourishing Pill cost him one Spirit Stone and 105 grains of Spiritual Sand. Today’s minor celebration had cost another four grains.

"Large Cyan Fish truly isn’t something an Early-Stage Qi Refining cultivator can afford to consume regularly," he thought. A three-pound braised Large Cyan Fish was worth a full three grains of Spiritual Sand, equivalent to four months of his usual living expenses.

Putting these trivial matters aside, Chen Jianghe turned his thoughts toward his upcoming journey to the Inner Waters. Senior Fisherman and Farmers also bred cyan fish, but they raised Little Cyan Fish instead. He didn’t have a precise idea of how they were bred; he would have to wait until he reached the Inner Waters and follow the Yun family’s instructions. With Little Black around, however, his breeding talent was quite exceptional.

"Little Black is still in the 512 Waters. How should I bring him to the Inner Waters?" Chen Jianghe realized this was a difficult problem.

Returning to the 512 Waters right now to bring Little Black along was definitely out of the question. Little Black hadn’t reached the Entry Tier yet, so his abundant Spiritual Qi couldn’t be concealed and would definitely be discovered, inevitably causing unnecessary trouble. After all, his annual salary publicly had a perfectly logical allocation; it was impossible for him to spare Spirit Stones to help a Black Crystal Profound Turtle gain Spiritual Wisdom and advance its Cultivation. Since he couldn’t take Little Black away right now, he could only wait until he entered the Inner Waters and find time to return to the 512 Waters later.

"If I enter the Inner Waters, other Basic-Level Fisherman and Farmers will definitely be stationed in the 512 Waters. Since Fisherman and Farmers are forbidden from trespassing into each other’s territories, I still need to have Little Black leave first," he reasoned.

With this in mind, Chen Jianghe sailed back to the 512 Waters overnight while the area still belonged to him. Upon arriving, he cast a Water Avoidance Curse, jumped into the lake, and dove downward. Within moments, he saw Little Black swimming toward him, as if drawn by a telepathic connection.

"WOO WOO WOO!" Little Black cried out joyfully, blowing colorful bubbles.

"Little Black, we are moving to a place with denser Spiritual Qi for your Cultivation. It will allow you to quickly reach the Entry Tier and become a Spirit Beast," Chen Jianghe conveyed through Introspection with his Divine Sense, transmitting the message via the Spirit Turtle Mark above his Spirit Platform.

"WOO WOO..." Little Black initially froze before crying out excitedly toward a specific direction, as if asking where they were moving. His turtle head pointed straight toward the Inner Waters.

"That’s right, we are moving to the Inner Waters. The Spiritual Qi there is extremely abundant, which will be very beneficial to both of our Cultivation," Chen Jianghe replied, unsurprised that Little Black had guessed the destination. After all, he was considered a half-step Spirit Beast in the Outer Waters and would certainly know that the Inner Waters were richer in energy. "You need to burrow deep into the mud, pass through the barrier of lake weed, and hide at the bottom of the lake channel. I will come pick you up in a month."

"WOO WOO WOO!" Little Black nodded his head frantically.

After giving his instructions, Chen Jianghe returned to the lake surface. To avoid drawing attention, he planned to stay in the 512 Waters for two days before heading to the port.

Down below, Little Black happily swam toward a massive coral rock at the bottom of the lake. Beneath it lay a conspicuous mound of dirt sprouting tender shoots of waterweed. Using all four claws, he dug open the mound.

"WOO WOO!" *(Father, father!)*

"HISS HISS..."

The Old Turtle, who had been slumbering inside his millstone-sized Turtle Shell, was suddenly awakened by Little Black. Instantly losing his temper, he swatted Little Black with a claw. Little Black was sent flying several meters but wasn’t angry in the slightest, continuing to blow bubbles in joyful excitement.

"WOO..." *(I’m moving, Father. I’m going to the Immortal Realm, Father. Do you know? I’m going to the Immortal Realm where the legendary Immortal Fish live!)* Little Black told the Old Turtle excitedly.

"HISS HISS!"

The drowsy Old Turtle, still grumpy from being woken up, was suddenly jolted awake, his Spirit completely revitalized. *(The Immortal Realm? You’re going to the Immortal Realm passed down by the ancestors of the Cyan-Scaled Fish!)*

"WOO." *(Mm-hm.)* Little Black nodded solemnly.

"HISS..." *(You’re crazy! The Immortal Realm has a Barrier that we can’t enter. If you try to force your way in, you’ll only be blasted into meat paste by the Immortal Light.)*

"WOO WOO." Little Black informed the Old Turtle that he had a way to enter safely. He promised that once he achieved success in his Cultivation in the Immortal Realm, he would definitely come back to visit him. He didn’t tell his father about the Two-Legged Beast. Because that was his secret.

When the morning mist descended upon the lake, a thread of golden red seeped through the sky. Cyan smoke drifted over the duckweed, reducing the Upturned Boat to a mere silhouette. The dew condensing on the flags and sails refracted a Liuli-like halo. A massive ship, hundreds of feet long, sailed through a lake channel shrouded in silk-like mist. The rising sun melted the lake’s surface into fragments of gold, while a White Egret on the bow folded its wings, the dew on its wingtips evaporating into seven-colored wisps of smoke in the dawn light.

Thirty-five Basic-Level Fisherman and Farmers, including Chen Jianghe, stood on the bow, looking at Yun Bufan in the breeze.

"From today onward, you are the Yun family’s Senior Fisherman and Farmers," Yun Bufan said solemnly, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I hope you are all capable of handling this role and will become the pillars of the Yun family in the future. I proposed to the family that we select the best from the Basic-Level Fisherman and Farmers to fill these positions. Do not disappoint me, and strive to secure a bright future for yourselves."

"Thank you, Young Master Yun," the thirty-five men expressed their gratitude in unison. Their loud, resonant voices startled the White Egret resting on the bow into flight.

"Mm." Yun Bufan nodded and beckoned a servant over. "Explain to them what a Senior Fisherman and Farmer must do."

"Yes, Young Master."

Yun Bufan turned and entered the cabin, leaving the task of introducing the work to his servant. However, none of the men present dared to underestimate this man. Judging by the aura of Magical Power fluctuations emanating from him, his Cultivation had actually reached Late-Stage Qi Refining.

"I am Yun San, Young Master Bufan’s servant. Now, I will explain what a Senior Fisherman and Farmer must do and what you need to pay attention to while living in the Inner Waters," he said. Despite his thin and small stature, his words carried a faint, terrifying hostility. "As Senior Fisherman and Farmers, you are required to breed Little Cyan Fish. The so-called ’fry’ for Little Cyan Fish are actually Large Cyan Fish weighing over four and a half pounds. Large Cyan Fish of this weight already contain a substantial amount of Spiritual Qi. Your task is to make the Large Cyan Fish conceal their Spiritual Qi and transform into Little Cyan Fish weighing under one pound—essentially, breeding Large Cyan Fish into Entry-Tier Spirit Beasts."

Everyone was shocked by this revelation. Large Cyan Fish were naturally ill-tempered and possessed a heavy hostility; they even slaughtered and devoured their own kind. With such low Spiritual Wisdom, how could they possibly be cultivated into Spirit Beasts?

"The feed required for this process is Immortal Spirit Rice, which can eliminate the Large Cyan Fish’s hostility and enhance its Spiritual Wisdom," Yun San continued. "But remember this: Immortal Spirit Rice can only be fed to the Large Cyan Fish. If anyone is caught stealing it to eat, or secretly feeding it to your own Spirit Beasts, your Dantian will be crippled, and you will be banished from Jingyue Lake."