Chapter 98: Diving For Treasure, Enemies Cross Paths
Chen Shun’an hesitated for a moment, took the oiled paper bag, and joked,
“In the future, I’ll have to keep troubling the shopkeeper for things like stir-fried pig liver tips and offal, no skimping on the brothers, alright?”
Hearing the implication in Chen Shun’an’s words, the shopkeeper beamed with joy, agreed repeatedly, led the way in front, lifted the hanging curtain, and invited Chen Shun’an into the private room.
“Old Chen’s here.”
“Brother Chen, come, sit here with me!”
“The dishes just came out fully, we were waiting for you!”
Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others greeted Chen Shun’an enthusiastically upon seeing him.
Chen Shun’an sat down at the table, glanced over the dishes, and figured they had actually been waiting for a while.
Chen Shun’an said, “Sorry, I ran into something on the road. Next time, I’ll treat the brothers to a meal at the sand pot place.”
It wasn’t really anything, just went to the county north private agency and bought the Heavenly Water Ant Grass, which took some time.
Chen Shun’an glanced at Lin Shou Zhuo, his gaze fixed, and he exclaimed in surprise.
Today’s Lin Shou Zhuo had completely shed his violent and irritable aura, his eyes clear, his demeanor natural, giving a sense of return to original purity.
Even his triangular head and toad eyes looked a bit more pleasing.
“Instructor Lin, you’ve broken through to first-rate?!”
At these words, everyone at the table drew in a sharp breath, their faces full of shock.
“Instructor Lin, congratulations, congratulations!”
“Instructor Lin, when you get promoted, remember old ties and promote the brothers!”
“Instructor Lin, what’s the landlord’s arrangement for you? Going to manage some freshwater well, or something more important?”
Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others spoke up one after another.
Lin Shou Zhuo lightly tapped the table with his fingers, and the person beside him immediately poured him wine.
Lin Shou Zhuo laughed heartily, tilted his head back, and drained the cup.
He had been waiting for Chen Shun’an to say that!
Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others were practicing mid-tier martial arts after all, their eyesight far inferior to Old Chen’s.
He, Lin Shou Zhuo, had been sitting here for half a day, and not one of them had noticed a thing!
“I’m ashamed, I broke through last night…”
Lin Shou Zhuo originally wanted to casually show off a bit.
But he suddenly thought of two months ago, when ‘Lin Invincible’, who had beaten all second-rate undefeated, encountered a first-rate enemy.
That day, he was successively rubbed on the ground by Yi Zi Hall Master, Xiao Qingchou, and others.
There was also a mysterious and terrifying lightness skill expert, vaguely present, whom even Landlord Zhao and others feared.
Lin Shou Zhuo fell silent for a moment, then reverted to his usual stern and unsmiling demeanor, sharp and stern the moment he spoke.
Seeing this, Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others felt relieved instead, praising Lin Shou Zhuo for staying true to his original intent, steadfast to the end, truly a martial path man!
After the meal.
Lin Shou Zhuo leaned back in the chair, handed the pipe to Chen Shun’an, and casually said,
“Want a puff? Top-grade ‘tiger skin wrinkle’, from Nanhai Prefecture, not something you get ordinarily.”
Chen Shun’an pushed away Lin Shou Zhuo’s wrist and smiled,
“Quit a long time ago.”
“Really quit?”
“Really quit.”
“Sigh, life’s short, quit this, quit that, what’s left to look forward to.”
Chen Shun’an chuckled, “I just quit smoking, not the rest, plenty of fun still.”
Lin Shou Zhuo shook his head with a wry smile, took two puffs on his own, then slowly sat up straight, his smile fading, utterly solemn.
Seeing this, everyone, including Chen Shun’an, couldn’t help but perk up and quiet down.
Lin Shou Zhuo said gravely,
“Day after tomorrow at the hour of Hai, everyone gather at the well, sort your weapons, bring your pills, travel light.”
“The Eight Treasures Mercury at the well bottom is overflowing, time to deliver another batch to Jindu Great Pharmacy!”
Sun Xiao nodded upon hearing this, his expression solemn, his qi and blood circulation speeding up slightly.
Cheng Bin also looked grave, his brows lightly furrowed.
The other second-rate experts had similar reactions, silently adjusting their states.
It seemed escorting Eight Treasures Mercury was an extremely grueling and dangerous errand.
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred.
It had finally come!
He had long been puzzled; third-rate warriors were one thing.
Why were second-rate warriors pushing carts to deliver water at wells all over the capital city?
Some Freshwater Ancient Wells, even sweet water wells, had first-rate experts guarding them.
This seemed like overkill.
Even if water stations were run by the Four Overlords of the Capital, monopolizing the capital’s water supply with huge profits, needing hired thugs made some sense, but still stretched.
Now, it seemed the root was in escorting Eight Treasures Mercury and Five-wheel Water?
At this point, Lin Shou Zhuo looked at Chen Shun’an and said,
“Old Chen, this is your first time escorting Eight Treasures Mercury. Watch and think more along the way, I’ll teach you what needs teaching. Learn well, time’s short.”
With that, Lin Shou Zhuo stood tall and strode out of the private room.
“Hey? Instructor Lin?”
Chen Shun’an was full of questions and wanted to ask more, but Lin Shou Zhuo just flicked his sleeve and left.
Escorting Eight Treasures Mercury?
Escorting to whom? Who was the client?
Banye Ferry Crossing Great Pharmacy?
Chen Shun’an knew the road to Banye Ferry Crossing like the back of his hand; he could find it blindfolded.
He knew exactly where the tea sheds for resting were, where the abandoned houses’ gate towers were, where the small shortcuts were.
He didn’t feel any danger anywhere that would make Lin Shou Zhuo and the others so cautious.
Who would dare rob a water station’s goods?
Not the pounding house, the Four Great Huo, or other gangs.
After all, real blade-and-gun open fights were gang disputes.
Poisoning wells, destroying wells, intercepting goods, threatening and extorting the other side’s clients—that broke the rules.
The higher-ups would handle it to maintain order.
Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others saw the doubt in Chen Shun’an’s eyes but just smirked without explaining, striking a pose, even deliberately patting Chen Shun’an’s shoulder.
Then they left one after another.
Before their first escort of Eight Treasures Mercury, their seniors had kept them in the dark too, not explaining until the last moment.
It was tradition, had to keep it.
So seeing Chen Shun’an so eager, they felt secretly pleased.
No wonder those old guys ahead acted like riddlers; this felt good.
Moments later.
Chen Shun’an sat alone in the Second Meat Shop private room, his face somewhat dark.
Bunch of turtle grandsons!
But from Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, and the others’ attitudes, escorting Eight Treasures Mercury was dangerous but controllable, not a near-certain death errand.
Still manageable.
Still, there were unsafe factors.
Chen Shun’an narrowed his eyes and made a decision.
That afternoon, he found Shopkeeper Li and prepaid this month’s and next month’s stipend and benefits.
Landlord Zhao did things straightforwardly, very generous with dividends to the brothers.
Last time at the interception meeting, for the thousand-gold city bone, Landlord Zhao doubled Chen Shun’an’s stipend and benefits.
And appropriately raised the stipends for the other water carriers.
Even though the dividend bet with Zheng Shicheng later fell through and he didn’t get the final payment.
Landlord Zhao didn’t take back the rewards to the brothers; reward when deserved, punish when deserved.
So they ate mung bean porridge with bran and veggies for two months.
Now Chen Shun’an got 24 taels of silver monthly; in the entire Grit Well water station, only Lin Shou Zhuo got more.
After advancing two months’ stipend, Chen Shun’an got 48 taels of silver total, four drops of Five-wheel Water, and other sundries.
Though by now, Five-wheel Water’s spirit-nourishing effect on Chen Shun’an was nearly gone.
After all, it mainly moistened the five wheels, helping second-rate martial artists increase their wondrous uses and resonance.
Nourishing spirit and strengthening mind was secondary.
But Chen Shun’an was now just one step from Slaying Three Bandits; four more drops should suffice.
Then, Chen Shun’an nearly emptied his savings, buying a bottle of Heavenly Immortal Blood Collapse Pill and other great medicines, leaving just over ten taels for firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
He also took two hours’ leave, got off early, dressed plainly, and headed to Banye Ferry Crossing.
Deity Descent Ran Yi Fish, then Slaying Three Bandits’ nose thief.
He was determined to get it!
……
Banye Ferry Crossing, Funiu Water Marsh.
This place was over ten li from the fork, and due to terrain, connected with the south depression into an inverted ‘U’-shaped bay, like a crouching ox horn, hence the name.
And due to terrain, occasionally Precious Fish or Spirit Fish that didn’t retreat with the tide back to deep water would strand here.
It had always been a holy fishing ground for Banye Ferry Crossing fishermen rowing sampans.
At this time,
Wind howled, waves surged on the water, blood-red sunset glow sprinkled on the rippling waves, refracting rainbows.
A small sampan floated quietly on the water; the lean, swarthy Li Tiezong and his neighbor Zhang Dadan worked together to haul up the previously cast trap net.
The trap net came up, water dripping, only a few big and small shrimp.
The two sighed and cast another net.
While waiting for fish, Zhang Dadan seemed to think of something, rubbed his hands, licked his lips, and said,
“Li Tiezong, your wife got no clients tonight? How about serving me? Cheap price, we’re brothers and neighbors.”
Li Tiezong wasn’t offended, instead smiled,
“We ain’t taking clients anymore from now on.”
“Ah? Why?”
“Heh heh, my boy made good, caught the eye of an outer commission commander from Liangjiang Military Academy, kept him in camp as a messenger soldier, teaching him martial arts personally!”
Li Tiezong was full of pride, head held high as he said,
“That boy insisted on bringing us to the county to live well! We’re used to the hut, can’t adapt to those high-door big households in the county, so we didn’t go!
The boy insisted on giving us silver, so no more clients, just catch fish, mend clothes!”
Zhang Dadan congratulated a few words, but a strange look flashed in his eyes.
Son of a secret prostitute, kept in camp as a soldier?
Zhang Dadan muttered a couple phrases, about to say more, when suddenly the trap net sank!
Something big in the net, pulling the sampan to tilt unsteadily.
A catch!
The two were overjoyed, gripped the net tightly, using all their strength.
Soon, a four-foot-long black shadow was hauled up, thrashing the water wildly, splashing waves.
Shaped like a black fish, body covered in blocky spots like ghost faces, emitting a soft glow.
This size, this luster, this strength.
Could it be a Precious Fish over fifty years old?
Rich!
The two were shocked.
Just then, a gale and waves came from behind them.
A roar sounded—
“Juniors, let go of the opportunity!!”
The two were stunned, before reacting, felt their hands loosen, inertia pushed them, and they fell back onto the sampan.
The trap net bulged, the big black fish rolled onto the sampan’s wooden partition, struggling wildly, slapping hard.
“Eh? An acquaintance?”
A surprised voice came.
Li Tiezong wondered, where did he have such a deep-martial arts acquaintance?
Zhang Dadan even less so, just a sometimes-full sometimes-hungry old fisherman, life pretty much seen through.
But before they could react more.
A hand lightly pressed the backs of their heads!
The two instantly fell into deep sleep.
Then Chen Shun’an, wearing only modesty shorts, landed on the sampan.
Since it’s an acquaintance, can’t let them see my face.
So Chen Shun’an let out ‘hehehe’ eerie laughs from his mouth, his demeanor sinister, reached out to grab the big black fish.
Such an opportunity, do you juniors understand how to use it?
Treasures of Nature, the virtuous claim them.
Chen Shun’an was the virtuous one!
“Hm?”
But as Chen Shun’an just grabbed the big black fish.
The flesh-and-blood plump, slippery big black fish instantly shriveled to a layer of fish skin, form vanished bone melted, qi and blood gone, even its scales lost luster, turning dull.
And in the corner of Chen Shun’an’s eye, a silver light shot out, silently into the water, toward the distant waters.
Chen Shun’an saw clearly, that silver light was chopstick-thick, entirely silver…
Was it that Jade Tree Silver Fish from Wan Ji River Goods Shop?!
This guy was a meat-eater!
