Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Bull Horn Pomfret_1
The bottom of the water was silent, with the sunlight scattering into a fine array of bright streaks.
The fat catfish lay motionless in the mud, its olive-brown skin almost completely blending into the surrounding environment.
If not for Liang Qu's sense, it would have been almost impossible to notice that a ferocious carnivorous beast was lying in wait here.
Seeing Liang Qu arrive, the fat catfish swished its tail, stirring up a small cloud of dust, and blew a bubble from its mouth. Following its direction, Liang Qu looked over.
Under a rock covered with seaweed, a large and a small pomfret snuggled together, but strangely enough, both fish had a small pair of horns on their heads!
Treasure Fish, without a doubt!
Resembling pomfrets yet with horns on their heads, a normal person would recognize the extraordinariness of the two fish at a glance.
Liang Qu, originally a lowly fisherman, had often heard of others catching Treasure Fish but had seldom seen one himself. Not just him, most of the fishermen in Yixing City were in the same boat.
However, the fishermen had their own method of judging whether or not a fish was a Treasure Fish, which was that the Treasure Fish inevitably bore a mysterious symbol!
Similar to the seventy-two black moles on Emperor Gaozu of Han's thigh, or Xiang Yu's double pupils, or the Tiger Head Spotted Fish from the neighboring wharf featuring divine and mysterious patterns resembling tiger stripes. The fisherman who caught it deemed it a Treasure Fish, and in the end, it proved to be just that.
Gazing at the large and small fish, Liang Qu's expression was excited. He had never expected that the Treasure Fish he hadn't found for several days would suddenly show up two at a time today!
Fatty was truly a lucky star.
The two Bull Horn Pomfrets had no idea they had already been targeted and continued to frolic under the rock.
Behind the rock, one man and two beasts lay in ambush quietly, without making a rash move.
After observing for a while, Liang Qu discovered a cave beneath the rock where the fish were playing—it might very well be their nest.
To prevent any other exits inside the nest, it was crucial to wait until they came out before attempting to capture them.
Liang Qu had the fat catfish take a detour to ambush on the other side, while he tied one end of the fishing net to the tail of the Zhupo Dragon. Man and beast separated, slowly spreading the fishing net.
The net was actually a precious resource; he originally did not have one, and this net was borrowed after treating Li Libo to a meal.
What followed was a quiet wait. Whenever Liang Qu felt he couldn't hold on any longer, he took out a pig's urine bladder filled with air and held it over his mouth to breathe.
The gas inside smelled strongly of ammonia, but for the sake of the Treasure Fish, it was all worth it.
They had been waiting for nearly half an hour, with the pig's urine bladder's deflating, when the Bull Horn Pomfrets under the boulder finally began to stir. The two fish gradually left their cave, as if ready to go out for food.
When the fish moved a few meters away from the cave entrance, Liang Qu sensed the opportunity and quickly signaled the fat catfish to attack!
Receiving the order, the fat catfish, laying in ambush beneath the mud, vibrated its body and, coiling into a curve, suddenly shot out. It churned a large amount of mud in the water, creating an impressively grand disturbance.
The two-meter-long Six-Whisker Catfish's charge was startling, spooking the Bull Horn Pomfrets, which were too far from the cave to return. Caught off guard, they could only flee in the opposite direction, right into Liang Qu's trap!
Now!
Liang Qu leapt into action, the Zhupo Dragon swishing its body and tail. Together, they pulled the net upstream. The net rose like a large curtain, neatly ensnaring the fleeing Bull Horn Pomfrets!
A massive force tugged on the rope of the net.
Hisss, what a strong force!
One pound of fish, ten pounds of fight—this one might triple that!
Liang Qu immediately used his ability to control water to halt their momentum. Those horns on the fish's head, along with the net made of thick canvas and hemp, which was far less durable than modern synthetic nylon, could tear the net to shreds, a situation best avoided. A torn net meant little compared to the loss of the fish.
Having controlled the Bull Horn Pomfrets' dash, Liang Qu swiftly sank to gather the fishing net. He and the beast circled crosswise, trapping the Treasure Fish tightly, limiting their ability to move so that they couldn't struggle as fiercely.
Once the fish were completely caught, Liang Qu grasped the net, now balled up, and quickly swam upstream. Climbing onto the fishing boat, he found the net opening and dumped both Bull Horn Pomfrets into the fish basket.
These horned fish were truly ferocious; even in the dry fish basket, they thrashed about, causing the basket to tip left and right, necessitating Liang Qu's intervention to steady it.
With his hands braced against the mouth of the basket, Liang Qu looked at the two pomfrets with small horns on their heads, overwhelmed with excitement.
"Fatty, well done, you did a good job!"
With this catch, his plan could be shortened by a great extent. The only question was, how much were these two Treasure Fish worth?
A few taels of silver would be enough, and even if it wouldn't suffice for martial arts training, there was no need to worry about the autumn tax.
"What a pity, they look incredibly delicious."
While underwater, Liang Qu hadn't been aware of it, but now that he had the fish in the basket, he instantly felt a strong attraction to the two fish, just like a hungry person seeing a steaming plate of white rice.
He wasn't that hungry at all; such an unusual feeling was, no doubt, another proof of the Treasure Fish's rarity.
Should he eat one?
The allure of the Treasure Fish was astonishing; a bold idea sprouted in Liang Qu's mind.
He consulted with Unable to Move and Fatty, finding that the fish did not exert much attraction on them; indeed, if these fish were naturally able to draw other water beasts that easily, how could they survive?
The first thing Liang Qu thought of was the Ze Cauldron; perhaps these items could benefit the Ze Cauldron—could the Treasure Fish also contain Water Ze Essence?
As he let his thoughts wander, Liang Qu found himself struggling to maintain control. After much contemplation, he decided to try his hand at cooking the slightly smaller Bull Horn Pomfret.
Ruling over all the Water Ze Cauldrons in the world sounded like something worth trying.
Carefully, Liang Qu took out the smaller of the two Bull Horn Pomfrets. This fish was about the size of a human face, weighing almost a pound, while the larger fish was about three pounds, significantly bigger.
The horns on the fish's head were incredibly hard, as tough as fine steel, and remarkably sharp. His decision to retreat the net promptly had been the right one; otherwise, after a few thrashes, the fish might have indeed escaped.
There were no knives on the boat, so Liang Qu used a stone shard to gut the fish. As the smell of fresh blood permeated the air, the two beasts guarding the sampan became visibly more animated, now they could truly sense that strong attraction.
The Zhupo Dragon and the Fat Catfish had exerted a lot of effort to catch the Treasure Fish, so Liang Qu was generous; he threw them all the trimmings and fish guts.
The two beasts were far from choosy, swallowing everything whole.
Whether eating the Treasure Fish would induce any changes in the two beasts was yet to be seen.
Liang Qu shifted his gaze, lit a fire using the firewood, and set a pottery basin atop it. Once the water boiled, he added the fish slices.
Scabby Zhang did indeed come out initially to recuperate; there was a small stove on the sampan that could be used as soon as it was taken out.
Previously concerned about murder being traced back to him, Liang Qu had prepared some supplies on the boat in advance, including fire starters, to facilitate a quick getaway.
Uncertain whether cooking would diminish the effects of the Treasure Fish, Liang Qu briefly boiled it to ensure there were no parasites before taking a bite.
So fresh and sweet!
An unprecedented sweetness filled his mouth, the texture was chewy and refreshing.
He hadn't used any green onions, ginger, or garlic, but there wasn't a hint of fishiness. It was completely different from ordinary river fish and it had no bones!
Overwhelmed by the delicious taste, Liang Qu devoured the fish hastily, even grinding down and consuming most of the skull. Only the thick and tough spine was left, which, after he had sucked the marrow clean, he threw to Unable to Move and the Fat Catfish.
The only evidence of the fish's previous existence was a pair of tough, small horns.
[Water Ze Essence +1.8]
The Ze Cauldron in his mind shone again with a blue-green light and, upon seeing the information, Liang Qu was almost tempted to eat the three-pound fish as well.
1.8 Water Ze Essence!
The gains were equivalent to eighteen slices of essence lotus root!
If the smaller fish was like this, then wouldn't the larger fish be thrice as impressive, possibly yielding 5.4 Water Ze Essence?
Now, with a fusion degree already at 6.5, by adding the two fish, he could break through to 10 directly!
But Liang Qu resisted; knowing that the Treasure Fish could enhance the Water Ze Essence was enough for now. The urgent matters at hand were still the path of Martial Arts and the nearby Zhao Manor.
To become a martial master, earn big money, live in a mansion, and have beautiful maid servants!
Repeating this three-part mantra in his mind, Liang Qu used all of the Water Ze Essence to boost the fusion level of the Ze Spirit.
As the fish flesh was digested, it too began to take effect.
Warmth radiated from his stomach throughout his body. Liang Qu lay with his face down by the side of the boat, his complexion visibly rosy in the reflection on the water's surface. His entire body was slightly feverish, blood racing through his veins like a frost-laden great river. Every cell was jubilant, breathing with abandon and with all its might.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone