Chapter 34 - 33: Scheme

Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Scheme

"I have to get Little Black here!"

Half a month had passed, and Chen Jianghe had discovered the pattern behind the fry’s aggressive biting. At the slightest hint of hunger, they would attack and cannibalize their own kind. The crux of the issue was that these fry didn’t feed at the same time—their feeding patterns were entirely irregular. When some of the fry went hungry, they would pounce on the ones that had already eaten, viciously tearing into them as if desperate to devour their kin whole. What was absurd was that they refused to eat the small fish and shrimp naturally found in the lake, almost as if they found them repulsive.

"If I have to feed them every day and constantly prevent them from biting each other, how will I ever have time for Cultivation?"

He understood that if he could just control the fry to eat together at regular intervals, he could prevent the cannibalism. But how was he supposed to enforce such regularity? These fry were thick with hostility and entirely lacked Spiritual Wisdom. For a Fisherman and Farmer like him, who rarely dealt with Large Cyan Fish, he was momentarily at his wit’s end. The only solution was to bring Little Black over.

Another half month passed.

Chen Jianghe stood at the bow of the Upturned Boat, bringing out a bag of Rice Bran. He tore it open and sprinkled it along the hull, all the way from the bow to the stern. The first time he fed the Little Cyan Fish, he had learned a hard lesson. Dumping the Rice Bran all in one spot would cause the hungry fry to crash into each other as they fought for food, highly likely leading to accidental injuries. That time, three fry went belly-up during the feeding frenzy, causing Chen Jianghe to ache with regret for a long time. Three had died right after he took over, and he still had three long years ahead of him!

Once the feeding was done, he didn’t dare delay. He immediately steered the boat out of the Inner Waters and rowed toward Port No.1. On the way there, he didn’t stop in the 512 Lake Dao, as there were other fishing boats passing by. Upon arriving at the port, he stocked up on a month’s worth of daily necessities, then immediately sailed out of port, passing through the 512 Lake Dao. By this time, the number of fishing boats had dwindled significantly; barely a few could be seen in the Lake Dao. When Fishermen and Farmers came to port, even if they had no business, they liked to stroll around and join in the lively atmosphere. There were also those looking for some fun, so most wouldn’t leave until after 3:00 PM.

Arriving at the Lake Dao just outside the 512 Waters, he caught sight of the area from the corner of his eye. New Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers had indeed moved in. Even though the Yun Family was currently unstable and weathering a storm, they still had no shortage of Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers. Life for low-level Cultivators was simply too grueling. Those Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers who had been coaxed into leaving by brokers had merely spent too many peaceful days at Jingyue Lake, forgetting the hardships of the bottom rung.

POP!

Chen Jianghe formed the hand seals for the Water Avoidance Curse, leaped off the bow, and dove to the bottom of the lake. Using his Divine Sense, he transmitted a message to Little Black through the Spirit Turtle Mark on his Spirit Platform. Very soon, he spotted Little Black. Without a word, he brought the turtle to the surface. He poked his head out to scan the surroundings, then grabbed one of the turtle’s claws and vaulted onto the boat.

The thirty-meter Upturned Boat paddled along, gliding through the Lake Dao toward the Inner Waters. Arriving at the Zone C No.12 Water Area.

SPLASH! Little Black plunged into the water.

Chen Jianghe closely followed, leaping into the lake and diving to the bottom alongside Little Black. The lakebed in the Inner Waters was far more beautiful than that in the Outer Waters, boasting a much greater variety of aquatic species. Amidst the deep blue ripples, green aquatic weeds swayed with pearlescent dots of light. Jade-white koi fish darted back and forth with luminescent pearls in their mouths, and transparent jellyfish flared their umbrella-like caps, stirring up stardust-like phosphorescence.

"WOO! WOO! WOO!"

Little Black cried out in agitation, expressing his excitement at entering the Immortal Realm. Swinging his four limbs, he tumbled through the water, spitting out colorful bubbles.

Chen Jianghe watched quietly, letting Little Black play to his heart’s content. After a while, Little Black swam back over to Chen Jianghe, extending his massive head and nodding vigorously in the water. He seemed to be thanking Chen Jianghe.

"I told you, as long as you work hard and raise the fish properly, we’d be able to make it to the Inner Waters.

"From now on, as long as you raise the Little Cyan Fish well, the days ahead will be even better. We’ll go to places with even more abundant Spiritual Qi.

"When that time comes, you’ll think Qi Nourishing Pills are too shabby even to eat as candy."

Chen Jianghe painted a beautiful blueprint of the future for Little Black. As he spoke, even he felt a deep yearning, his eyes brimming with longing.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

Little Black shrieked urgently, shaking his head frantically.

"Don’t worry. Do a good job, and in three years, I’ll reward you with a Qi Nourishing Pill," Chen Jianghe sighed helplessly. He wondered why Little Black, who was on the verge of reaching the Entry Tier and becoming a Spirit Beast, still couldn’t be appeased by grander promises. All the turtle cared about were small, immediate rewards. How boring.

"WOO! WOO! WOO!"

Little Black’s attitude flipped faster than the pages of a book, as he happily swam in circles around Chen Jianghe.

"Little Black, you need to honestly memorize everything I’m about to tell you. You absolutely cannot make any mistakes."

Chen Jianghe went over the requirements for raising Little Cyan Fish with Little Black. He placed special emphasis on the matter of the Immortal Spirit Rice, reminding Little Black that he absolutely must not compete with the Little Cyan Fish for food. Yun San had previously explained that the Immortal Spirit Rice could only be used to feed the Little Cyan Fish. It could not be eaten privately, nor could it be used to feed one’s own Spirit Beast; otherwise, the punishment would be severe. The Inner Waters were abundant in Spiritual Qi. It would likely take Little Black less than a year to reach the Entry Tier and become a Spirit Beast. There was absolutely no need to fight for the Immortal Spirit Rice and attract unnecessary trouble.

Little Black nodded his head lightly, indicating he understood the rules. Chen Jianghe felt quite reassured about Little Black. After working together for so many years, Little Black had already become a seasoned, veteran working turtle. Surfacing on the lake, he vaulted onto the fishing boat.

Now that he had Little Black, he didn’t need to worry about raising the Little Cyan Fish anymore, and he finally had time to practice the Water Escape Technique. Every time he cast the Water Escape Technique right now, he could only travel a few hundred meters, falling far short of the pinnacle achievable at the Third-Layer Qi Refining. The Water Escape Technique was his only means of preserving his life. He had to study it until he reached a profound mastery. A single cast absolutely needed to take him over a mile away.

"Water Conceals My Body, Water Escape My Form, Jellyfish Spirit..."

***

Huxing Island.

Yun Family Ancestral Hall.

The ancestral hall, constructed from grey-green ashlar, stood tall and imposing. Ebony crossbeams supported the Ninth Layer flying eaves, while Liuli dragon-fish roof ornaments gleamed coldly in the twilight. Pillars carved from solid blocks of white marble exuded a gentle warmth, steeped in a century of incense. The floor, paved with lapis lazuli, perfectly reflected the red sandalwood memorial tablets. The Celestial Light slanted through the endless swastika-patterned lattice windows, illuminating floating dust that condensed into fine, golden sand before the ancestral portraits.

Yun Bufan was led into the ancestral hall by the Fifth Elder, then stepped into the back chamber.

"Father. Greetings, Elders."

Seated in the hall was Yun Bufan’s father, Yun Xiaotian, who was also the current Yun Family Master, along with four other elders. Second Elder Yun Zhongbo, Fourth Elder Yun Zhongwei, Sixth Elder Yun Zhonghui, and Seventh Elder Yun Zhongyong.

"Bufan, if you have any questions, you may ask your father," Fifth Elder Yun Zhonghou said as he walked to his designated seat and sat down.

"Father, why did you have the Fifth Elder publicly announce that I would achieve Foundation Establishment within ten years?" Yun Bufan asked, puzzled. Although he was on the verge of breaking through to the Eighth-Layer Qi Refining, he had no confidence in achieving Foundation Establishment within ten years. Unless he had a Foundation Establishment Pill. But the Foundation Establishment Pill had already been snatched away by the Bai Family of Qiyun Mountain, and even their own Elder Ancestor had been heavily injured in the process.

"Because we believe you can successfully reach Foundation Establishment within ten years." Yun Xiaotian’s gaze was full of gratification, his tone firm.

Yun Bufan froze for a moment before a certain possibility dawned on him.

"Father, the Foundation Establishment Pill the Elder Ancestor bought wasn’t stolen!

"Then what about the Elder Ancestor’s injuries...?"